Law & Order: UK

For Law and Order addicts, you will recognize many of the storylines from the US edition. Still fun to watch...

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!

I will always have a fondness for the US Law & Order shows, and at first I was not sure whether I would like Law & Order:UK. I thought it wouldn't be paced well and wouldn't adapt easily either, a concern I see is shared by other reviewers. So it was a surprise when it worked superbly. It is grittier than the US series and some of it is even more compelling.

At the start there were some slight problems in the dialogue and acting, with some of the writing a tad lumpy and the characters not as well explored as they are now which affected some of the support acting as was to be expected, but it has gotten much better over time. The writing is intelligent and thought-provoking now, and I love the acting of Bradley Walsh, Jamie Bamber and Harriet Walter. The support characters aren't explored as well as the leads, but are acted very well and they and their stories maintain interest.

The pacing is quite good as well, it goes at a moderate pace without feeling too quick or slow. And the story lines are just great too, they are compelling and induce thought and I loved the format of half- police investigation and half-trial and that both parts of each episode are written excellently with the courtroom scenes marginally better in terms of acting.

The camera-work is what makes the show grittier than its US counterpart, while the lighting and locations have great, atmospheric shades to them and the music never feels over-bearing and the main theme is very memorable. Overall, this is a gritty, compelling and great series. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Law & Order: UK is another franchise of the long running Law & Order series. All of the classic elements of L&O has been kept including the classic introduction speel and even the dunk-dunk noise between scenes. Why fix something that's not broke?

The pilot has its good and bad points, most of which are intertwined. I'm impressed with the acting over-all, particularly that of Ben Daniels, Bradley Walsh and Jamie Bamber. Freema Agyeman appears to be the weak link. I'm probably biased though, I didn't like her (limited) acting style in "Doctor Who" or "Survivors" - hopefully I'll be proved wrong in future episodes. There was an extraordinarily odd moment with Bradley Walsh who was SMILING, (in what I assume was an effort to appear caring and sympathetic), when the mother was bawling over her dead baby. Lordy.

I actually really like the shaky, continually moving camera work, which gives a gritty, realistic feel to the show, whilst helping to give energy to dialogue-heavy show. However, the type of film used makes the show seem like every other cheap British staple (e.g. The Bill, Casualty or Eastenders). Maybe this was supposed to add to the show's gritty feel but it just didn't work for me.

The worst elements of this show is that it seems to mangle our "UK" law (actually being the law of England and Wales, specifically contained within London) and stretches the validity of how courtrooms work. But it is only a TV show, and I ain't no lawyer so whatchagonado???

I definitely think its worth tuning in again to see how this show pans out. Potentially, Law & Order: UK could be one of the best shows in the UK, combining some excellent actors with thoughtful insights and though-provoking issues.

Or it good go a bit Pete tong, but you won't find out unless you keep watching...

Dick Wolf's creation of Law and Order has long tentacles. The UK version copies the format of the original and holds up beautifully.

The stories are involving, and the acting is superb. Jamie Bamber is adorable with a capital A; and Bradley Walsh is brilliant as a recovering alcoholic cop who has been through a lot of pain. On the order side, the originals were Ben Daniels, Freema Agyeman, Harriet Walter, and Bill Paterson are great. Later, Peter Davidson and Dominic Rowan, also very good, take over.

Highly recommended.