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- "In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups. The police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories."
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It originally aired on NBC and, in syndication, on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th season on May 24, 2010. At that time Law & Order was the longest-running crime drama on American primetime television. On September 28, 2021, It was announced that Law & Order will return for its 21st season starting on February 24, 2022.
The show has been noted for its revolving cast over the years. Among the longest-running main cast members were Steven Hill as District Attorney Adam Schiff (seasons 1-10), Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe (seasons 3-14), S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (seasons 4-20), Sam Waterston as Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy (seasons 5-21; later District Attorney) and Jesse L. Martin as Detective Ed Green (seasons 10-18).
The current spin-offs are Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Organized Crime. Previous series are Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Trial by Jury and Law & Order: LA.
Cast[]
Main Cast and Characters[]
| Image | Actor | Character | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Jeffrey Donovan | Detective Frank Cosgrove |
Season 21-present |
 |
Mehcad Brooks | Detective Jalen Shaw |
Season 22-present |
 |
Camryn Manheim | Lieutenant Kate Dixon |
Season 21-present |
 |
Hugh Dancy | Executive Assistant District Attorney Nolan Price |
Season 21-present |
 |
Odelya Halevi | Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun |
Season 21-present |
 |
Sam Waterston | Executive Assistant District Attorney/ Manhattan District Attorney John James "Jack" McCoy |
Season 5-present |
Previous Cast and Characters[]
| Image | Actor | Character | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Roy Thinnes | Manhattan District Attorney Alfred Wentworth |
Season 1 (Everybody's Favorite Bagman) (Original Pilot) |
 |
George Dzundza | Sergeant Maxwell "Max" Greevey |
Season 1 |
 |
Paul Sorvino | Sergeant Philip "Phil" Cerreta |
Seasons 2-3 |
 |
Dann Florek | Captain Donald "Don" Cragen |
Seasons 1-3 (Recurring Seasons 5, 10 & 15) |
 |
Richard Brooks | Assistant District Attorney Paul Robinette |
Seasons 1-3 (Recurring Seasons 6, 16 & 17) |
 |
Michael Moriarty | Executive Assistant District Attorney Benjamin "Ben" Stone |
Seasons 1-4 |
 |
Carolyn McCormick | Psychologist Elizabeth "Liz" Olivet |
Seasons 3-4 (Recurring Seasons 5-20) |
 |
Chris Noth | Detective Michael "Mike" Logan |
Seasons 1-5 |
 |
Jill Hennessy | Assistant District Attorney Claire Kincaid |
Seasons 4-6 |
 |
Carey Lowell | Assistant District Attorney Jamie Ross |
Seasons 7-8 (Recurring Season 10-11 & 21) |
 |
Benjamin Bratt | Detective Reynaldo "Rey" Curtis |
Seasons 6-9 (Recurring Season 20) |
 |
Steven Hill | District Attorney Adam Schiff |
Seasons 1-10 |
 |
Angie Harmon | Assistant District Attorney Abigail "Abbie" Carmichael |
Seasons 9-11 |
 |
Dianne Wiest | Interim Manhattan District Attorney Nora Lewin |
Seasons 11-12 |
 |
Jerry Orbach | Detective Leonard W. "Lennie" Briscoe |
Seasons 3-14 |
 |
Elisabeth Röhm | Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn |
Seasons 12-15 |
 |
Michael Imperioli | Detective Nicholas "Nick" Falco |
Seasons 15 (Recurring Season 16) |
 |
Dennis Farina | Detective Joseph "Joe" Fontana |
Seasons 15-16 |
 |
Annie Parisse | Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Borgia |
Seasons 15-16 |
 |
Fred Dalton Thompson | Manhattan District Attorney Arthur Branch |
Seasons 13-17 |
 |
Milena Govich | Detective Nina Cassady |
Season 17 |
 |
Jesse L. Martin | Detective Edward "Ed" Green |
Seasons 10-18 |
 |
S. Epatha Merkerson | Lieutenant Anita Van Buren |
Seasons 4-20 |
 |
Alana De La Garza | Assistant District Attorney Consuela "Connie" Rubirosa |
Seasons 17-20 |
 |
Jeremy Sisto | Detective Cyrus Lupo |
Seasons 18-20 |
 |
Linus Roache | Executive Assistant District Attorney Michael "Mike" Cutter |
Seasons 18-20 |
 |
Anthony Anderson | Detective Kevin Bernard |
Season 18-21 |
Episodes[]
Main article: Law & Order episodes
Seasons[]
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired (U.S. dates) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | ||
| 1 | 22 | September 13, 1990 | June 9, 1991 |
| 2 | 22 | September 17, 1991 | May 12, 1992 |
| 3 | 22 | September 23, 1992 | May 19, 1993 |
| 4 | 22 | September 15, 1993 | May 25, 1994 |
| 5 | 23 | September 21, 1994 | May 24, 1995 |
| 6 | 23 | September 20, 1995 | May 22, 1996 |
| 7 | 23 | September 18, 1996 | May 21, 1997 |
| 8 | 24 | September 24, 1997 | May 20, 1998 |
| 9 | 24 | September 23, 1998 | May 26, 1999 |
| 10 | 24 | September 22, 1999 | May 24, 2000 |
| 11 | 24 | October 18, 2000 | May 23, 2001 |
| 12 | 24 | September 26, 2001 | May 22, 2002 |
| 13 | 24 | October 2, 2002 | May 21, 2003 |
| 14 | 24 | September 24, 2003 | May 19, 2004 |
| 15 | 24 | September 22, 2004 | May 18, 2005 |
| 16 | 22 | September 21, 2005 | May 17, 2006 |
| 17 | 22 | September 22, 2006 | May 18, 2007 |
| 18 | 18 | January 2, 2008 | May 21, 2008 |
| 19 | 22 | November 4, 2008 | June 3, 2009 |
| 20 | 23 | September 25, 2009 | May 24, 2010 |
| 21 | 10 | February 24, 2022 | May 19, 2022 |
| 22 | 22 | September 22, 2022 | May 18, 2023 |
Gallery[]
