Law & Order: UK series 3

[Star Wolf]

Right from the beginning I've thought that was a weakness of the 'adapting US stories' approach to L&O:UK. There is a surprising amount of difference between our law enforcement and criminal justice systems and you are really watching two American detectives solve crimes in London I enjoy the show, so I don't particularly fall out with that - god knows UK based cop dramas get enough wrong all by themselves. But L&O is a particularly American franchise to try and adapt. Just something as simple as the same two detectives always working together as 'partners' is not British. Also the 'detectives outrank uniformed' thing has carried over. And I still smile at the bomb-squad PCSO in episode 1

So is it a system like Prime Suspect where homicides, are investigated by a team headed by the Lieutenant or Captain in L&O New York terms while a detective or team of two would just do their assigned role?

To use Baltimore TV police terms is there is not a difference between "red balls" or high profile cases where the Chiefs take over (although in Baltimore the chiefs don't take over from the "primary") and the everyday homicides handled by the initial or lower ranked detectives.

In the early years of L&O the team was a Detective and a more senior Detective Sergeant. Was that standard for the NYPD in the early 90s or did the producers correct their mistake in the mid 90s when the team where both just Detectives?

One thing about the move to LA is that death penalty cases are back in the mix. I assume the episodes which focus on the death penalty, as opposed to just threatening the needle when interrogating the suspect, also where not reshot as L&O UK episodes

 

[cultcross]

So is it a system like Prime Suspect where homicides, are investigated by a team headed by the Lieutenant or Captain in L&O New York terms while a detective or team of two would just do their assigned role?

In L&O:UK, the set-up is quite similar to the original L&O in that the show focuses almost exclusively on two detectives and their boss. Most investigative work shown is done by these two.
In reality in England & Wales, homicides or any serious crimes lead to the setup of an Incident Room headed by a Senior Investigating Officer who is of Inspector rank or higher (ranks go Constable->Sergeant->Inspector so sort of a lieutenant) There will be a team of Detective Constables and one to three Detective Sergeants assigned to the case, as well as a number of civilian investigators in different roles. (In England & Wales, 'Detective' is simply a prefix denoting an officer assigned to CID, it's not a rank in itself and a Detective track officer does not outrank a uniformed colleague of the same rank) Serious crime investigation is very much a team effort.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I guess it'd give it less focus on the 4/6 main characters if they had to have it be true to life though.

 

[cultcross]

I guess it'd give it less focus on the 4/6 main characters if they had to have it be true to life though.

Oh I fully accept sacrifices are made for drama, that's not just a symptom of American imports, as plenty of British cop shows make many of the same mistakes. It's generally accepted, it seems, that the way the Americans do law enforcement is more dramatic than ours, so our cop shows are based on their model Nearly every police procedural on TV has the interrogation scene, for example.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I guess it'd give it less focus on the 4/6 main characters if they had to have it be true to life though.

Oh I fully accept sacrifices are made for drama, that's not just a symptom of American imports, as plenty of British cop shows make many of the same mistakes. It's generally accepted, it seems, that the way the Americans do law enforcement is more dramatic than ours, so our cop shows are based on their model Nearly every police procedural on TV has the interrogation scene, for example.

Intimidation and bargaining galore. Where the tape and video is only ever introduced if it is important to the plot later.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

And I still smile at the bomb-squad PCSO in episode 1

Explain?

 

[Bob The Skutter]

And I still smile at the bomb-squad PCSO in episode 1

Explain?

PCSOs or plastic policemen as they're better know are Police Community Support Officers, they're not actual police officers they though have a support role and do things like patrol and liaise with local businesses on how to keep down crime and anti-social behaviour.

 

[cultcross]

And I still smile at the bomb-squad PCSO in episode 1

Explain?

What Bob says - a Community Support Officer is a non-confrontational role designed for community liaison etc. They don't hold power of warrant and are police civilian staff, not officers.
A normal PC dealing with a 'bomb' that was clearly suspected to be genuine by the cordon tape, local evacuation etc, would be unusual - normal procedure would be to call Army EOD - but a PCSO dealing with it is downright ridiculous.

 

[Avon]

i only watched the 1st series. does all the courtroom stuff still drag it down?

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^I never thought it did so I can't help you with that judgement.

 

[Star Wolf]

i only watched the 1st series. does all the courtroom stuff still drag it down?

Seeing as they are remaking New York scripts on the original I often watched the early years for the Ben Stone ADA scenes but during the McCoy years I often stopped watching once the junior ADA started her investigation. It may truly be Your Mileage (kilometers ) May Vary case here.

By the time the court room highlight came around you are basically seeing the work around solution to whatever evidence the judge excluded which stopped the case from being an easy confession and sentencing.