[PoochJD]

Hi,

If you love controversial, crime dramas that depict crime in the most gritty and realistic way possible, with an almost unbearable amount of tension and controvesy each week, and you think that "The Shield" was he toughest crime drama on UK TV, then think again!

On Saturday 19th July 2003, Channel Five are starting to transmit the most amazing crime show I've ever seen. A show that beats "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", "The Shield", "Homicide" and "Law And Order" to a bloody pulp!

The show is called "Law And Order: Special Victims Unit". Whilst the Hallmark Channel has already shown Seasons 1 through 3 several times, this will be the first time that terrestrial viewers will get to see this award-winning and brutal drama show!

The show follows a small, crack squad of detectives who deal solely with sexually-based offences. Now, if you want titillation, then go watch one of the many adult channels, because this show will make you feel deeply uncomfortable! Not only does the show cover the thorny issue of rape, but incest, paedophilia, child porn and all other manner of sordid sexually-based crimes.

Be warned, this show is compelling, but utterly raw and unsympathetic. Almost every episode ends on a cliff-hanger of one kind or another, with almost no perfect "happy-ever-after" kind of resolutions! It's also deeply disturbing, and not for the easily offended! Whilst the show never glorifies the crimes, it deals with the issues in a frank and totally uncompromising way! This is not clean-cut and glossy US drama by any means!

Enjoy the show, but be prepared to be made very, very uuncomfortable!

Pooch

[Garrett]

Funny I thought I had seen some of the episodes from this and I do not watch Hallmark has it been on Sky One or an other channel?

[encaser]

Have you had an interview with an ad agency of late pooch?!
The above show is ok but better than CSI and/or harder than Homicide? Two words, pish and tosh old luv.
It lacks the ingenuity with CSI and the hammer horror of more than a few Homicide episodes. In fact I'd go so far as to say it's a pc show designed for women really. That may sound sexist in this day and age but watch it and see. The best thing it has is three top actors from Oz appearing.
It tries for noble ground (and you can't argue against the principle) but it gets stale, overly melodramatic and into sentimental American tripe turf.
If Homicide weren't on Hallmark I'd never have watched it as it is a bit of a XX chromosome event.

From what little I've seen of these shows I'd have to agree with Encaser. Sounds like Brasseye would have a field day with LAO: SVU - media using these issues to their own advantages yet again.

[PoochJD]

Hi,

I'm actually quite shocked at this response!

Garrett - No, L&O:: SVU has not been on any other channel than Hallmark.

Encaser:-

1) Nope, no ad agency interview! Just love the show, that's all!

2) I love "CSI", and "Homicide" a lot, and have almost every episode of these on video. However, I still think if you watch L&O: SVU for one whole season, you will find it a superb show that frequently excels these two shows, only because of the limited nature of sexually-based crimes that exist in the real world.

3) Yes, "CSI" has a lot of ingenuity, and it is technically more accomplished, but L&O: SVU can still beat CSI in some cases. Ditto with "Homicide".

As for being a PC show for women, that's definitely the last thing I'd expect you to say! It isn't aimed at women especially, even though it's on the Hallmark channel, and Hallmark isn't especially aimed at women either! (I think you're getting confused with Living TV which IS aimed at women.) In fact, ratings wise, it does pretty darn well in the USA, even against "CSI" and "CSI Miami".

4) As for "it gets stale, overly melodramatic and into sentimental American tripe turf", I'd have to completely disagree! If you want sentimentality, watch any other number of American mainstream dramas.

I admit, I may have exaggerated my claims a tad about it being better than some other shows, but I would have to still stick by my guns at least for the vast majority of "L&O: SVU's" lifespan!

Anyway, I'm happy to agree to disagree, and still ask that viewers who like crime drams watch this show, as I genuinely believe that crime fans will adore it.

Pooch


P.S. How come everyone loves the BBC's "Spooks" so much, when it rips off everything from "24", to "The X-Files" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", not to mention "The Sopranos", "OZ", "NYPD Blue" and "Homicide"?!

[encaser]

Pooch, you clearly love the show but I think you point out what I see as its flaw in your 2) rebuttal; in that it is limited by real world sexual criminality. However, there are many reasons why these crimes are carried out specific to the perp' but how many seasons do they need to repack it, God damn it!
And I think you'll find many more women than men watch Hallmark, just look at the shows on it, daytime-tastic in a night guise. A channel fit for the unemployed and women.
Many of these shows have been spawned from Hill Street Blues/NYPD Blue and the topic does make me consider the parallel with digital having concentrated on quantity and not quality.
As Sg notes, they are beginning to overly smack of 'worthy' money making tv.

[Chrissywis]

The thing I found hard to believe about the show is that John Munch would ever get into a unit like that. After all these detectives are supposed to be sensitive, given the nature of the crimes they investigate.

[Matthew Attoe]

This show has been on another channel other than hallmark... sky one had it AGES ago - they aired about 6-8 episodes, then canned it like they tends do with good shows.

Matthew

[PoochJD]

Hi,

If anyone's interested at all, Hallmark are currently showing Season 4, of "L&O: SVU". Monday 1st September will be Season 4, Episode 17 (of 24).

Oh, and in mid-September, Hallmark is showing another "Law And Order" spin-off show, "Law And Order: Criminal Intent", which looks at crimes from the criminals point-of-view! Should make for an interesting perspective!

Pooch