Law & Order: UK

My concern prior to watching this was that the pace and the story wouldn't adapt well to the UK style - The Bill is quite plodding and small scale, but I was pleasantly surprised that, whilst intimate, L&OUK was paced superbly and kept me gripped 'til the end.

The only real gripe is that the DAHDAH's aren't used much....and that titles at each end seem out of keeping with the show: I suppose I'm used to the US version after so many years...

On the Law side Jamie Bamber, using his native accent, was fracking good, but Bradley Walsh was the absolute surprise hit for me: he's an ex-professional footballer (soccer star) who is known as a bit of a naff comic and when he's acted before you see BW not the character - not in this though...

The Order side familiar actors are again viewed as the characters rather than 'oooh he/she was in...' I think this is testament to a great, tight script More of the same please!

I am watching these again,sadly the drama is not made anymore. The only thing I don't like about it is that the stories are remakes of American stories. But I love the complicated plots and the acting. The cast in each episode is good. The regular cast are excellent. Bradley Walsh plays cop Ronnie Brooks a great character. This is gritty and educational.

Like an earlier poster, I've never watched any of the bewildering array of either CSI or Law and Order series. In fact, I haven't watched a US cop show since NYPD Blue and I haven't seen a US courtroom drama since the days of dear old Perry Mason so I have no idea how this UK version compares and nor do I care.

All I know is that this is an entertaining and engrossing drama. The stories feature different crimes, not just murder after murder and the good guys don't always win. Bradley Walsh is a revelation, Jamie Bamber is virtually unrecognisable after playing Apollo and Bill Paterson has never turned in a bad performance.

Excellent stuff

We have become huge fans of L&O UK through DVD--we have seen 8 episodes so far and we're very eager for additional seasons to be released in the NTSC format (right now, subsequent seasons are only on PAL). Even though I live in NYC, the outer boroughs are often treated as second class citizens by our cable companies and we do not have access to BBC America, where the series is shown stateside. The rapport and dialogue between the detectives is realistic and entertaining, and it has been a treat to watch the British court system at work (we had to look up the rules/options re: wigs/robes) and are curious that some statements permitted by the attorneys would surely have earned sustained objections in our courts (of course, this is also TV's stretch) The gritty camera-work and neighborhood locations are effective, the adaptations of US episodes have worked beautifully and the acting across the board has been fine. More DVD's please!

As an American I've been a fan of the original since it's beginnings. As soon as I had access to watch the British version I watched seasons 1 and 2 back to back. My first impression was one of admiration for the casting. Frankly I'm not so bothered that the characters are based on like types of the original. What did unnerve me was how poorly the show seemed to be written in comparison. It's really neither compelling or entertaining.

I'm not a police officer or a lawyer but I've seen my share of shows centered around such characters. The writing of L&O UK seems almost embarrassingly simplistic and predictable. As well, does the prosecutor (who should be one of the show's champions) ever give the audience the satisfaction of winning a good case... other than the ones he probably shouldn't win? It's almost laughable and the show seems oddly negative and depressing in that respect. My other half lost interest in the 2nd season, and now only sticks a head in the room to giggle and ask if Steele has actually won a decent case yet. Perhaps it is true to English law, but if so I'd hate to live in a society where the only "victims" that seem to get justice are the criminals that claim to have been "victimized".

One of the things that's always made the original L&O great is that Jack is not only dogged and highly principled, he is brilliant! The character James Steel has the first two qualities but is sorely lacking in the third. Frankly I'm amazed that he still has a job.

I'll continue to watch for a while with hope that the writing will improve. If not perhaps I'll just stick with the original going forward.