Sharapova makes history with French Open win

 The Russian did so early this morning (AEDT) when she defeated Italy's Sara Errani 6-3 6-2 in the French Open final at Roland Garros outside of Paris.

In what turned out to be largely one-sided contest, the second seed and new world No1 led from the start, fixing the 21st seeded Errani with her biggest shots and giving her little chance to employ her own, more considered game.

The French Open title for Sharapova follows her Grand Slam triumphs at Wimbledon in 2004, the US Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008 and it crowns her return from a serious shoulder injury that nearly wrecked her career.

The 90-minute final though did little to restore the reputation of women's tennis at Roland Garros, continuing a run of straight sets finals that date back to 2001 when Jennifer Capriati defeated Kim Clijsters in a three-set thriller.

It was the first meeting between the two and the contrasts were stark - notably in height with the 1.88m tall Sharapova towering 24cm above the little Italian.

The 25-year-old Sharapova had the experience of winning three Grand Slam titles and has just been assured of regaining the world number one spot. Her global superstar status has made her the biggest-earning sportswoman on earth.

Errani, 10 days younger than her opponent, was little-known outside of her own country until she won three claycourt titles in the buildup to Roland Garros in recent weeks.

She then defeated two previous champions en route to a first appearance in a Grand Slam final.

Sharapova opened confidently on serve and then used her booming groundstrokes to pin back a tight Errani, breaking serve when the Italian hit long.

The Russian, playing in her first final at Roland Garros at her 10th attempt, moved 3-0 up and then converted a third break point to take a 4-0 lead.

Sharapova had made a dream start, but once again her propensity to double fault struck again, with two of them in the fifth game. She then hit a forehand narrowly wide on break point.

That seemed to settle Errani, who was bidding to become the second Italian winner at Roland Garros after Francesca Schiavone in 2010, and she pumped her fist at her team in the player's box after holding serve for the first time.

Errani saved two set points at 2-5 and 15-40 down on serve in the eighth game as she started to pull Sharapova from side to side, but the Russian, despite another double fault, served out for the set.

Sharapova broke again to open the second set and moved 2-0 up as the Roland Garros centre court faithful tried to lift the morale of the outgunned Italian.

The 90-minute final though did little to restore the reputation of women's tennis at Roland Garros, continuing a run of straight sets finals that date back to 2001 when Jennifer Capriati defeated Kim Clijsters in a three-set thriller.

It was the first meeting between the two and the contrasts were stark - notably in height with the 1.88m tall Sharapova towering 24cm above the little Italian.

The 25-year-old Sharapova had the experience of winning three Grand Slam titles and has just been assured of regaining the world number one spot. Her global superstar status has made her the biggest-earning sportswoman on earth.

Errani, 10 days younger than her opponent, was little-known outside of her own country until she won three claycourt titles in the buildup to Roland Garros in recent weeks.

She then defeated two previous champions en route to a first appearance in a Grand Slam final.

Sharapova opened confidently on serve and then used her booming groundstrokes to pin back a tight Errani, breaking serve when the Italian hit long.

The Russian, playing in her first final at Roland Garros at her 10th attempt, moved 3-0 up and then converted a third break point to take a 4-0 lead.

Sharapova had made a dream start, but once again her propensity to double fault struck again, with two of them in the fifth game. She then hit a forehand narrowly wide on break point.

That seemed to settle Errani, who was bidding to become the second Italian winner at Roland Garros after Francesca Schiavone in 2010, and she pumped her fist at her team in the player's box after holding serve for the first time.

Errani saved two set points at 2-5 and 15-40 down on serve in the eighth game as she started to pull Sharapova from side to side, but the Russian, despite another double fault, served out for the set.

Sharapova broke again to open the second set and moved 2-0 up as the Roland Garros centre court faithful tried to lift the morale of the outgunned Italian.

She held serve to get to 2-1 down and then had a break point to level, only for Sharapova to hit the line with a forehand.

The fifth game of the set was crucial as Sharapova opened her shoulders to hit some big winners, converting her third break point to go 4-1 ahead when a net-charging Errani failed to deal with a hard, angled drive from the Russian.

Errani was not yet quite out of it however, as she won four points in a row from 30-0 down to break Sharapova's service for the second time.

The Russian though put that aside to win the next two games, sealing her career Grand Slam on her third championship point when Errani failed to return an angled backhand.

Simon Cowell

Simon Phillip Cowell, born 7 October 1959 is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol. He is also the owner of the television production and music publishing house Syco.

As a judge, Cowell is known for his blunt and often controversial criticisms, insults and wisecracks about contestants and their abilities. He is also known for combining activities in both the television and music industries, having promoted singles and records for various artists, including television personalities. He was most recently featured on the fifth series of Britain's Got Talent and the first season of The X Factor USA.

In 2010, the British magazine New Statesman listed Cowell at number 41 in a list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010".

Idol franchise and Il Divo

Cowell was given the role of judge on the first series of Pop Idol in the UK by then ITV Controller of Entertainment Claudia Rosencrantz in 2001, he was then judge on the first season of American Idol in 2002. With his notoriously critical reputation, Cowell is likened to TV personalities such as Judith Sheindlin and Anne Robinson. Though comparable to Robinson, Cowell has expressed his dislike for her and has commented in an interview, "I hate her and I hate her show because it's just an act". Cowell's prominence grew, fed by his signature phrase, "I don't mean to be rude, but ...", inevitably followed by an unsparingly blunt appraisal of the contestant's talents, personality, or even physical appearance. A lot of these one-liners were the product of coaching that Cowell received from noted publicist Max Clifford. Cowell also appeared on the one-off World Idol programme in 2003, where it became clear that each country's version of the Idol had attempted to come up with its own "Simon Cowell" type personality. In 2003, Cowell placed No 33 on Channel 4's list of the all-time 100 Worst Britons. Cowell's S Records signed the top two finishers of the first season of Pop Idol, Will Young and Gareth Gates, both of whom went on to have No 1 UK hits. Efforts begun in 2001 materialised in 2004, when Cowell returned to his group manufacturing roots with his latest brainchild, the internationally successful operatic pop group Il Divo, consisting of three opera singers and one pop singer of four different nationalities. Inspired by the success of Il Divo, Simon created a child version, Angelis, beating competition from many similar groups emerging at Christmas 2006.

On 11 January 2010, Cowell's exit from American Idol was made official. The 2010 season was Cowell's last on the show. It was also announced that FOX had acquired the rights to The X Factor USA, an American version of Cowell's popular British show, The X Factor, which began in September 2011.
 
The X Factor

In 2004, with Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, Cowell was a judge on the first series of the British television music competition The X Factor, which he created using his production company, Syco. The X Factor was an instant success with the viewers and began its eighth series in 2011.

Leona Lewis, the winner of the third series of The X Factor, was signed to Cowell's label Syco and has had number one singles and album sales around the world. Cowell returned for a fourth series on 18 August 2007 alongside Osbourne, Walsh and new judge, Dannii Minogue. Walsh had previously been sacked from the judging panel by Cowell for the fourth series, and was subsequently replaced by Brian Friedman, who was a judge on Grease Is the Word. Walsh was later brought back a week into the auditions by Cowell when he and Osbourne realised that they missed Walsh and that without him, there was no chemistry between the judges. Cowell returned for the fifth series in 2008, with Walsh, Minogue and new judge Cheryl Cole, as Osbourne decided to quit before the show began. Cowell returned for series 6 and 7 as well, although series 7 was his to be his last, as he left in 2011 in order to launch The X Factor in America. After placing third in the seventh series of The X Factor in the UK, boyband One Direction signed to Cowell's label in 2011, and the group have gone on to top singles and album charts worldwide.

The X Factor Australia launched in 2005, but was cancelled due to poor ratings. It returned to Australian television for its second season on 30 August 2010, with Kyle Sandilands, Ronan Keating, Guy Sebastian and Natalie Imbruglia as judges. Season 3 began on 29 August 2010 and ended on 22 November. It featured Ronan Keating, Mel B, Guy Sebastian and Natalie Bassingthwaighte as judges.

Cowell also launched The X Factor USA in September 2011 on American broadcaster Fox. It was originally announced that he would be a judge both on the UK and U.S. editions of the show, which air at similar times of the year, but MTV officially reported on 17 April 2011 that this was not true; Cowell is no longer a judge in the UK version, but instead will be an enormous presence backstage. He currently is a judge on The X Factor USA alongside Paula Abdul, L.A. Reid, Nicole Scherzinger and formerly Cheryl Cole.

In October 2010, Cowell signed new three-year deals with ITV for both Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor, renewing both shows until 2013.
Got Talent franchise

Following the success of the Idol and X Factor franchises, Cowell, his company Syco, and its business partners developed a talent show format open to performers of any kind, not only singers, but also dancers, instrumentalists, magicians, comedians, novelty acts, and so on. The origins of the Got Talent format can be traced to the British show Opportunity Knocks, which began as a radio programme in the 1940s and later transferred to television, where it was an ITV staple for several decades. Looking further back, Opportunity Knocks had its roots in the variety show traditions of British music hall and American vaudeville.

Cowell is the executive producer of America's Got Talent, which debuted in June 2006, along with Fremantle producers of the Idol series, but he does not appear on the show due to the terms of his contract with FOX. The show was a huge success for NBC, drawing around 12 million viewers a week, and beating So You Think You Can Dance on FOX (produced by rival and Idol creator Simon Fuller).

Britain's Got Talent debuted on ITV in June 2007. Cowell appears as a judge alongside Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan. The show was a ratings success and second and third seasons followed in 2008 and 2009. The third series featured a publicity coup when Susan Boyle made a global media impact with her regional audition performance comparable to that of any previous talent show series winner.
American Inventor

On 16 March 2006, Simon Cowell's next competition show, American Inventor, debuted on ABC. Fledgling entrepreneurs from across the United States competed to see who could come up with the best new product concept. The 2006 winner, Janusz Liberkowski, received $1 million and the opportunity to develop his idea into a business. The show returned one more time in 2007 for a second season.
Celebrity Duets

In 2006, Cowell executive-produced Celebrity Duets, which was described as "an Idol show for Hollywood superstars." The show was hosted by Wayne Brady, and its judges were Marie Osmond, Little Richard and David Foster.
Grease Is the Word

Cowell was also the executive producer of Grease Is the Word for ITV. This show set out to find performers to play Danny and Sandy in the 2007 West End revival of Grease. It was hosted by Zoe Ball and judged by Britons David Ian and Sinitta and Americans David Gest and Brian Friedman. The musical theatre casting concept had already been introduced by the BBC with the ratings hit How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, but Cowell's show was not the hoped for success. He himself said, "It has been slaughtered by the critics – and rightly so. It is far too similar to our other formats.

Cowell has appeared as a guest voice in an episode of The Simpsons ("Smart and Smarter"), in which he gets beaten up by Homer Simpson (while criticising Homer's punches). His voice was also heard on an episode of Family Guy ("Lois Kills Stewie"), in which he told Stewie that his singing was so awful that he should be dead. He made an MTV Movie Award-winning cameo appearance as himself in Scary Movie 3, where he sits in judgment during a battle rap (and subsequently gets killed by gunfire for criticising the rappers). He also appears in the DVD version of Shrek 2 as a judge in Far Far Away Idol, and also provided the voice.

He appeared on an episode of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (the original British version) and Saturday Night Live in 2004. Cowell has also guest-starred (filling in for Regis Philbin) in the popular talk show Live with Regis and Kelly during American Idol's finalist week in early 2006. Cowell was once the fastest "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" on BBC's motoring show Top Gear, driving a Suzuki Liana around the show's test track in a time of 1:47.1. When Top Gear retired the Liana along with its rankings after the eighth series, Cowell was the eighth fastest overall and the third fastest non-professional driver. On 11 November 2007 Cowell yet again appeared on Top Gear, achieving a time of 1:45.9 thus putting him ahead of Gordon Ramsay and back at the top of the table. Cowell introduced entertainer Dick Clark at the 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards. He was seen on Comic Relief Does The Apprentice where he donated £25,000 for a fun fair ticket. Cowell has also appeared on the MTV shows Cribs and Punk'd. On Punk'd, Ryan Seacrest and Randy Jackson set him up to believe his $400,000 Rolls Royce was stolen and had caused an accident by using a nearly identical car.

Cowell was chosen as the first subject of the re-launched This Is Your Life in an episode broadcast on 2 June 2007. He was presented with the Red Book by Sir Trevor McDonald while presenting American Idol

On 1 July 2007 Cowell appeared alongside Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest as a speaker at the Concert For Diana, held at Wembley Stadium.

Cowell was a partner in the Royal Ascot Racing Club, a thoroughbred horse racing syndicate which owned the 2005 Epsom Derby winner, Motivator.

In May 2010, he portrayed himself again, in another episode of The Simpsons, "Judge Me Tender".

 
Personal life

Cowell became engaged to make up artist Mezhgan Hussainy in February 2010, however the couple separated in 2012. They met on the set of American Idol. Cowell is the godfather of pop singer Sinitta's adopted children.

Upon his appearance on Top Gear, it was revealed that Cowell pays more than £21.7m per year in income tax, suggesting that his taxable income is over £54.25m per year with income tax at the time approximately 40%. (NB: UK Income Tax 40% for earnings over £34,600). Cowell was estimated to have a fortune of £200 million in the Sunday Times Rich List of 2011, making him the sixth richest person in the British music industry. Cowell splits his time between homes in London and Los Angeles. He owns a £9million home in Holland Park, West London, and has a £13.7million ($22 m), 11,550 sq ft (1,073 m2) home in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.

 
Political views

Cowell is a supporter of the Conservative Party. In 2010, Cowell endorsed David Cameron to be Prime Minister and claimed that he has the 'substance and the stomach to navigate us through difficult times'. In the aftermath of the election, it was reported that he had fallen out with fellow X Factor judge Cheryl Cole (who had declared her support for Labour and Gordon Brown) in a telephone conversation about politics.

Delta Goodrem speaks about her relationships with Brian McFadden

 It stops the tell-all books, magazine deals and talk show interviews which so often expose the sordid sex lives and secrets of the rich and famous.

But as the slanging match between former lovers Brian McFadden and Delta Goodrem continues over her breach of a contract, it prompts the question: Just how common are these couple agreements, and are they legally binding?

McFadden took to Twitter this week to condemn his ex-fiancee's decision to open up about the pair's seven-year relationship to the media despite signing a non-disclosure agreement.

"Do I wish that it ended earlier? Yes. Do I wish I had the courage to leave earlier? Yes, I do. I think what we came to is that we were very different people - extremely different people," Goodrem told 60 Minutes last week.

Despite the agreement, McFadden said he wouldn't sue. "I'm not considering legal action. I also wouldn't stoop as low as her," McFadden wrote on the social networking site.

As more and more couples face the reality of divorce, the concept of signing relationship agreements before saying "I do" seems practical, but for stars whose reputations and hefty bank accounts are involved, it is a no-brainer.

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise have one while UK tabloid golden boy Peter Andre, whose highly-publicised marriage to Katie Price ended in 2009 after five years, revealed he now asks all the women he dates to sign agreements.

"I don't agree with super-injunctions but I do think it's OK to ask someone to sign a confidentiality agreement when you start seeing them," he told a magazine.

The lyrics in part are: I won't look back tonight because this is the time in my life, underneath these stars, I'm dancing with a broken heart. You've got to fight fire with fire, the truth to a liar, I'm going higher, dancing with a broken heart.

Goodrem and McFadden are understood to have signed a confidentiality agreement when they split after seven years last April.

"I didn't know how to leave and a couple of years go by and it was putting me in a space I didn't want to be and didn't want to be associated (with) - and I find it a little embarrassing even now," she has told Australian Vogue.

"People can be very different to what you think and have very different worlds to what you are aware of and I'm just really happy to be back where I should be."

Meanwhile Goodrem's fourth album is expected to finally be released in August.

However the actual make up of the album is yet to be finalised with Sony confirming Goodrem is still writing and recording songs for the project, for which she says she has already written 70 tracks.

Producers Gary Clark and Vince Pizzinga have flown into Sydney to polish up her next single release which is due to go to radio in a matter of weeks.

Sources say branding experts have been consulted on how to turn around the wave of negative opinion being directed towards Brand Delta, although Sony denied this was the case yesterday.

Delta Goodrem

Delta Lea Goodrem, born 9 November 1984 is an Australian singer-songwriter and pianist. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she enrolled in dancing, acting, singing and piano classes at a young age. She began her career as a child actress, starring in various television shows and rose to prominence in 2002 in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker.

Venturing into the music industry, Goodrem recorded an album entitled Delta through an independent label, which was never released due to legal reasons. Subsequently signing to Sony at the age of 15, she released her multi-platinum album Innocent Eyes which topped the Australian albums chart and UK Albums Chart. It became one of the highest selling albums in Australian history, with 4.5 million copies sold worldwide and all five of its singles— "Born to Try", "Lost Without You", "Innocent Eyes", "Not Me, Not I", and "Predictable"—reaching number one in Australia and three of them reaching the top ten in the UK. This gave her the record for becoming the first ever artist to have five Number 1 singles from a debut album.

Each of her subsequent albums followed with similar commercial success. Her second studio album, Mistaken Identity, was created during her battle with cancer (and several of its themes reflect this) and became her second consequent Number 1 album. In 2007, she released Delta, her third Number 1 album. Goodrem has continued to have a string of top-ten hits, including "Out of the Blue", "Mistaken Identity", "Together We Are One", "In This Life", "Believe Again" and "Sitting on Top of the World". Goodrem has achieved eight Number 1 singles and three Number 1 albums in her home country. As of the late 2000s or early 2010s, she holds the Australian record for the highest-selling album of the last decade and the most Number 1 singles from a debut album. As of 2012, she is a coach on The Voice Australia.

Delta, and the Believe Again Tour

On 10 August 2007 Goodrem was in Los Angeles to film the music video for "In This Life", the first single which is also the opening theme for the anime Deltora Quest, based on the novels by fellow Australian Emily Rodda. The video premiered on 31 August on Sunrise. "In This Life" was released as the first single from her new album on 15 September. It debuted at number one on the Australian Singles Chart, becoming Goodrem's eighth number one single in Australia.
   

On 29 November 2007 Goodrem and McFadden announced they were engaged. In his book, McFadden wrote that he proposed to her on a trip to Bali.
Goodrem performing during promotion in Australia

Her latest album, the eponymous Delta, was released in Australia on 20 October 2007. Goodrem has described the material as "...a lot lighter" compared to her previous album Mistaken Identity. In January she stated, "As people become more aware of your life, they can pinpoint what songs are about. On this album, I've tried to remove a lot of that and just write great pop songs, songs that are from my heart but there's no baggage with them". The album debuted on number one on the ARIA albums chart, marking her third number one album in her home country, and received platinum certification for shipments of 70,000 records, though sales were much lower; only 23,000 copies were sold during the first week. In December the album received a 2x platinum award for shipments of 140,000 copies.

The second single of the album was "Believe Again", released in December. The song debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Singles Chart. The third single, "You Will Only Break My Heart", was released on 29 March 2008 and peaked at No. 14. The fourth single to be lifted from the album is "I Can't Break It To My Heart", which debuted and peaked at No. 13. Following the release of the lead single, Goodrem currently holds the record for most No. 1 singles on the ARIA charts by an any artist, with 8. According to Goodrem she is going to explore new places around the world in 2008, including Brazil. In January 2009 Goodrem embarked on her Believe Again Tour tour of Australia. She also recorded a duet, "Gotta Be Right Here With You", with Olivia Newton-John to help raise money for Newton-John's cancer hospital in Melbourne. In July 2008 it was announced that Goodrem would embark on a national tour of Australia, titled the Believe Again Tour. She originally announced nine dates in seven cities, but later announced more shows, performing 14 in eight cities. The tour ran from 9 January to 4 February 2009. Goodrem was nominated for two awards at the 2008 ARIA Awards – Highest Selling Single and Highest Selling Album – and won the award for Highest Selling Album of 2008.[49] At the 2008 World Music Awards held on 9 November in Monaco Goodrem received her third World Music Award for World's Best Selling Australian Artist.
2009–present: The Voice Australia and Sitting on Top of The World

A concert DVD of Goodrem's Believe Again Tour was released on 18 September 2009. The Australian launch of Michael Jackson's This Is It DVD, March 2010: Goodrem and Guy Sebastian were chosen by the Jackson estate to perform at the Australian launch of This Is It. The invitation only event was attended by the film's director Kenny Ortega, Michael's choreographer Travis Payne, and Michael's brother Jackie Jackson Goodrem and Sebastian performed "Earth Song".

On 1 April 2011, it was confirmed that McFadden and Goodrem called off their engagement. The couple released a joint statement stating that they wished each other every success and happiness in the future. Goodrem dated singer Nick Jonas from May 2011 to February 2012.

On 23 November 2011, Goodrem was confirmed to be a part of the judging panel of the Australian version of The Voice that will begin airing in early 2012. Goodrem will coach alongside Keith Urban, Joel Madden, and Seal. Since The Voice has started, some of Goodrem's decisions on the show have sparked criticism, who have panned her as "all style" and "little substance".

Goodrem's upcoming fourth studio album, which is right now lacking a title or a theme or track listing, has been in the process of recording since early 2008, with Gooodrem stating that it will be more "stripped back": "I've done a 360 back to where I started, but hopefully it's more evolved. I feel I've stepped up my game. I'm experimenting with different chord changes and different areas of music. I feel I can do anything on this album, I'm relishing that. I feel like the sky's the limit but at the same time it's very raw. However, the five years that followed the announcement were quiet regarding plans for the album and when it would be released. An announcement was made on 19 March 2012, stating that there is now a countdown on her official website to 30 March, with the promise of "something new, something fresh, something altogether exciting" on that day. On that day, it was then announced that Goodrem would be releasing her new single, "Sitting on Top of the World" .
 
Legacy and artistry

Her repertoire falls under the pop and adult contemporary styles, and heavily features the piano, which she usually plays barefoot while performing live.Goodrem is also known for her technically skilled soprano voice.

Goodrem was honoured with a wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Sydney's Darling Harbour, which opened in April 2012. The singer donated a dress that she previously wore on stage to the attraction.

As of the late 2000s or early 2010s, Goodrem has achieved eight No. 1 Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) singles and multiple UK Top 10 singles. Her debut album, 2003's Innocent Eyes, made her one of Australia's highest-selling female recording artists, spending 29 weeks at No. 1, selling over 1.2 million copies in Australia and another 4.5 million internationally, debuting at number 2 in the UK and breaking various records in the process.

In 2004, Goodrem released Mistaken Identity, her second studio album which entered the ARIA charts at No. 1 spawning two No. 1 singles and quickly gained multi-platinum status. In 2005, Goodrem embarked on The Visualise Tour, her debut concert tour of Australia, combining songs from both Innocent Eyes and Mistaken Identity.

Goodrem released her third studio album, self-titled Delta, on 20 October 2007 to yet another number-one debut, gaining multi-platinum status within the first few months of release. Goodrem also shifted attention to different markets, releasing the album in the Far East and the USA. In January 2009, Goodrem embarked on the Believe Again Tour of Australia to support her third studio album. She has sold approximately 6.7 million albums, and 8 million combined albums and singles worldwide.
Philanthropy

In May 2005, Goodrem helped launch "Teen Info on Cancer", a UK website aimed at supporting young teenage sufferers. In November 2005, Goodrem became an ambassador for Research Australia's "Thank You Day", which honours the country's health and medical researchers and received a Thank You Day Celebrity Advocacy Award "in recognition of her efforts in raising funds and awareness for Australian medical research and charities. Goodrem is set to be the face of Alternative Hair, the UK hairdressing industry's top fundraising event, in aid of cancer charity Leukaemia Research. Goodrem is also member of RADD (Recording Artists, Actors And Athletes Against Drink Driving), a group of celebrities raising awareness of the risks of drunk driving.

Preschool mental health checks

 The Healthy Kids Check - starting on July 1 - will be predominantly conducted by GPs, who will refer children with troubling behaviour to psychologists or paediatricians.

The program is expected to identify more than 27,000 children who the government believes will benefit from additional support, but who some doctors say will be wrongly labelled as having a mental illness.
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While the aim is to prevent mental illnesses - 50 per cent of which start in childhood - the Australian Medical Association and some mental health experts fear children may be misdiagnosed or given psychiatric drugs unnecessarily.

''We have to be careful we don't medicalise normal behaviour and that's a real caution with children,'' the AMA president, Steve Hambleton, said. ''There are genuine kids who need extra support to help them integrate into normal kindergartens and classrooms and a lot of the funding for that is driven by diagnoses so there's a perverse incentive to diagnose conditions like autism. There are kids who need it but we don't want to make normal kids abnormal.''

Frank Oberklaid, director of the centre for community child health at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital and chair of the expert committee appointed by the Minister for Mental Health, Mark Butler, to develop the check, said their priority was to ''first do no harm''.

''The critics are worried that we're going to slap diagnoses on three-year-olds and treat them with drugs but this is not the point of the exercise,'' Professor Oberklaid said. ''Many parents and preschool teachers face behaviours in children that are challenging and cause stress and distress. We also know that thankfully many of these are transient but we can't predict in a particular child which ones are going to disappear and which ones are going to go on and cause mental health problems. What we're really doing is having a more systematic way of finding out those kids who are causing difficulties and doing something about it.''

The test, although not compulsory, will form part of a check for developmental problems such as hearing, eyesight and allergies. Previously it was conducted on four-year-olds but has been brought forward a year and for the first time will include screening for mental health problems, with doctors to receive training before it is introduced in the next financial year.

A checklist of potentially troubling behaviours for GPs is being finalised and Professor Oberklaid said it would likely include behaviours such as aggression, difficulty with impulse control and trouble interacting with other children.

''We'll also look at internalising disorders. Three and four-year-olds can get anxious as well. Children who have persistent fears, extreme levels of shyness, won't go to bed without the light on, won't sleep in their own bed … We want to begin a narrative that says Johnny or Jane is exhibiting these behaviours that cause concern to parents and then put in place strategies to help parents and early childhood professionals deal with them and if they disappear that's terrific. If they don't, then at least those kids will have been picked up by the system.''

Professor Allen Frances, a visiting American psychiatrist who chaired the last edition of the "bible of psychiatry" - the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - said childhood epidemics of autism, bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder had begun with well-intentioned doctors who wanted to intervene early, but led to widespread mislabelling and medicating.

''Many kids have developmental problems that disappear by themselves and it's very difficult to evaluate in any given child whether the improvement resulted from treatment or just growing up. Before you have a mass national experiment like this it needs to be carefully piloted to make sure that the harms are not going to be greater than the risks,'' Professor Frances said.

Anna Sexton from East Brunswick has children aged 3, 5 and 6 who all sleep with the hallway light on. She said she was concerned this behaviour would be viewed as abnormal under the tests. ''I can appreciate the benefit of early intervention if it's warranted but my gut reaction is one of concern for over-diagnosis

Law & Order: UK

Law & Order: UK is a British police procedural and legal television programme, adapted from the US TV series Law & Order. The programme is financed by the production companies Kudos Film and Television, Wolf Films, and NBC Universal. Head writer Chris Chibnall based the first series of episodes on scripts and episodes of the parent series. Based in London, and following the formula of the original, Law & Order: UK stars Bradley Walsh, Jamie Bamber, Harriet Walter, Ben Daniels, Freema Agyeman, and Bill Paterson. Law & Order: UK is the first US drama television series to be adapted for British television.

Premise

Law & Order: UK is based in London.

Law & Order: UK (also known as: Law & Order: London in Ireland) is the latest member of the Law & Order franchise, one of the most successful brands in American primetime television. To summarise the premise of Law & Order: UK, its variation on the famous Law & Order opening statement is:
“ In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups. The police who investigate crime, and the Crown Prosecutors who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories. ”
Law & Order: UK is based in London and duplicates the episode format of the original series. The first half focuses on the perpetration of a crime and the related police investigation typically culminating in an arrest, while the second half follows the legal and court proceedings in an effort to convict the suspect. The show dwells little on the characters' back-stories or social lives, focusing mainly on their lives at work.



Production

Conception
Law & Order: UK had been a dream of creator Dick Wolf's for a long time. The first 13 episodes are based on scripts from the original Law & Order series to accommodate contractual requirements with his company and to build on the experience with successful storytelling. The episodes were picked by show runner and lead writer Chris Chibnall, who had previously worked on Torchwood, Life on Mars and Born and Bred.
Chibnall delved through the so-called Law & Order bible (a collection of synopses for every episode) and watched the series on DVD before picking 15-16 that would translate well to British television. The final 13 episodes are the favourites of Chibnall and producer Richard Stokes, although one episode had to be replaced due to incompatibility with English law. Stokes considered a 13-episode series to be quite long for British television drama, and described the pacing as "the only real challenge", whereas Dick Wolf was disappointed at the short series, as the American series typically run for more than 20 episodes per season. Wolf further hopes that the show will succeed sufficiently to allow him to push ITV for more episodes per series. The scripts have been updated for contemporariness, and while the difficulties of adapting the scripts for the English legal system exceeded the expectations of the production team, Stokes opined that audiences familiar with both shows would enjoy them for their distinctions. Comparing UK with the original Law & Order, Wolf described the biggest difference as the wigs, "The law is not really that dissimilar and, you know, murder is murder." It is unknown if a possible second series of Law & Order: UK would re-use original Law & Order scripts.
The filming of Law & Order: UK began in January 2008. Despite concerns expressed by star Jamie Bamber and Variety magazine as to the possibility of a second series, it was announced in June 2009 that ITV had commissioned a second series of 13 episodes to be produced in the second half of 2009 and broadcast in 2010.



Sets and shooting

The Old Bailey, Sunday shooting location for
the series (14 June 2004)

Law & Order: UK frequently shoots on-location around London, including some footage taken in the Old Bailey, the Central Criminal Court, on Sundays. The filming of the courtroom interior, the police station, and the CPS offices takes place on sets built in disused Ministry of Defence buildings at Qinetiq, off the M25 motorway around Surrey. The police station's sets were designed with an eye to realism, tchotchkes and personal items adorn the desks, while an ironing board and clean shirts are around for the eventuality of police officers heading to court.


Exemplar Law & Order: UK black-and-white intertitle from "Care"
Many of the familiar hallmarks of the original Law & Order were carried through to this iteration, including the opening music stylings, black-and-white intertitles, and hand-held camera work; Stokes was especially pleased to be able to use Kudos' method of "guerilla filming" on the streets of London. The so-called Dick Wolf Cash Register Sound — "the little 'dum dum' sound"— separates scenes as well.



International broadcasting
TV3 began to show the programme in Ireland, one day after its ITV showing, where it is billed as Law and Order: London. Citytv broadcast the first series in Canada starting 11 June 2009. As of August 2009 Network Ten broadcasts the series in Australia.. Other countries to have picked up the series include France
In a December 2008 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Jamie Bamber speculated that the show may also be broadcast in the United States, possibly on one of NBC's cable stations. Law & Order creator Dick Wolf also expressed interest in airing the UK version in the United States, believing it would be strong enough to air on NBC on Saturday nights. In a February 2009 interview, Wolf also hinted at the possibility of a crossover episode on one of the two series. Beyond Law & Order: UK, Wolf has mentioned that he would love to have an iteration of the show set in a major Muslim city such as Cairo.



Cast

The cast of Law & Order: UK
Detective Sergeant Ronnie Brooks played by Bradley Walsh
Detective Sergeant Matt Devlin played by Jamie Bamber
Detective Inspector Natalie Chandler played by Harriet Walter
Senior Crown Prosecutor James Steel played by Ben Daniels
Junior Crown Prosecutor Alesha Phillips played by Freema Agyeman
Director of CPS London George Castle played by Bill Paterson


Recurring cast
The recurring cast for the first two series' included Jessica Gunning,
Tariq Jordan, Nicola Sanderson, Nicholas Blane
and Gillian McCutcheon.

Guest stars
Guest stars in the first series include Holly Aird, Iain Glen, Colin Salmon, Juliet Aubrey, Sean Pertwee, Frances Barber, Derek Riddell, and Keith Barron.[1] Answering fans' inquiries in February 2009 as to whether Law & Order: Special Victims Unit character John Munch—played by Richard Belzer—will appear on Law & Order: UK, Chibnall joked that he believed it was a contractual obligation.



Episodes

Series 1 (2009)
Originally planned for a single series, the first run was broadcast as two separate series in the UK, with episodes 1–7 being shown in 2009 and episodes 8–13 in 2010.
# Title Directed by Written by Original airdate Viewing figures[22] Original Law & Order episode
1 "Care" Omar Madha Chris Chibnall 23 February 2009 6.96 million "Cradle to Grave" (31 March 1992)
After Dionne Farrah (Venetia Campbell) leaves her dead nine-month old son at a local hospital, Brooks & Devlin discover that the boy was poisoned by the gas heater in his flat. Fellow tenant Mike Turner (Tony Maudsley) is arrested for sabotaging the heater as a means of getting rid of tenants who refused to vacate their homes for more profitable developers. However, the case is declared a mistrial when it is claimed that the testimony of a French-speaking witness was wrongly translated. Turner's boss, Maureen Walters (Lorraine Ashbourne), is found guilty after the CPS receive testimony that she bribed environmental inspection officials to ignore her tenants' complaints. Patrick Malahide guest stars as the devious and unprincipled defence barrister Robert Ridley QC.
2 "Unloved" Andy Goddard Terry Cafolla 2 March 2009 6.24 million "Born Bad" (16 November 1993)
Brooks and Devlin are emotionally affected by the case of an unidentifiable 13-year-old boy who was kicked to death at Euston Station. DI Chandler holds a press conference which leads to identifying the victim as Danny Jackson who was in foster care. The trail leads to the arrest of another young boy who was also in care at the same house as Danny. Steel and Phillips face an "old flame" from Steel's past in defence barrister Beatrice McArdle (Dervla Kirwan), who attempts an audacious defence of genetic predisposition towards violence: the suggestion that genes could be responsible for aggressive behaviour. This could upset the whole British legal system since other defendants could claim that genes means that they are not responsible for their actions.
3 "Vice" Omar Madha Chris Chibnall 9 March 2009 6.61 million "Working Mom" (26 February 1997
The murder of an ex-vice cop in Paddington leads Brooks and Devlin to investigate both the victim's boss (Sean Pertwee) and a children's clothing store in Barnes (run by Juliet Aubrey and Deborah Cornelius), only to discover that it is a front for a escort girl service. Steel and Phillips face off against "formidable defence barrister" Phyllis Gladstone (Lesley Manville), who presents a case of self-defence.
4 "Unsafe" Andy Goddard Chris Chibnall 16 March 2009 6.24 million "American Dream" (9 November 1993)
The unearthing of a shallow grave aside the Thames forces Brooks and Devlin to reopen a contentious murder case that Steel himself prosecuted eight years prior. As a result, it would appear that Luke Slade (Iain Glen), convicted of the murder of his business partner, is the victim of a miscarriage of justice. Steel himself, however, is far from convinced and, when Slade represents himself in court, it becomes less about the trial and more about the vendetta between the two men.
5 "Buried" Mark Everest Catherine Tregenna 23 March 2009 6.69 million "...In Memory of" (November 5, 1991)
The remains of an eight-year-old boy, later identified as Tommy Keegan, are uncovered, twenty-five years after he was reported missing. His childhood friend, Julia Mortimer (Holly Aird), reluctantly agrees to undergo EMDR therapy and this leads to a history of sexual abuse and abuse of trust. However, Steel soon finds that his whole case rests on a very upset and potentially unreliable witness. Guest-stars Keith Barron as the defendant.
6 "Paradise"[30] Tristram Powell Chris Chibnall 30 March 2009 5.87 million "Heaven" (26 November 1991)
When an arson attack on a Turkish club claims 17 lives, Brooks and Devlin are under pressure to discover just who was behind it. What was first thought of as a racist attack soons turns out to be a lot more complicated and is not helped when a suspect's human rights gets in the way of obtaining crucial evidence. Even when that is overcome, the prosecutors struggle to build a case as a conflict emerges between justice, community relations and racial harmony and Steel himself faces an awkward situation with an old friend.
7 "Alesha"[33] Mark Everest Catherine Tregenna 6 April 2009 6.02 million "Helpless" (4 November 1992)
Phillips accuses respected gynaecologist Dr. Alec Merrick of sexually assaulting her during a routine examination, but Brooks, Devlin and Chandler struggle to find any firm evidence and the team becomes divided. Phillips then resorts to desperate means to obtain justice only to make things worse for herself and Steel is pitted against formidable defence barrister Phyllis Gladstone (Lesley Manville). In a June 2009 interview with Digital Spy, Freema Agyeman (Alesha Phillips) described the episode and its content as "the biggest challenge I've ever been faced with in my career".


Series 2 (2010)
# Title Directed by Written by Original airdate Viewing figures Original Law & Order episode
1 "Samaritan"[34] Andy Goddard Chris Chibnall 30 July 2009 (Canada)
11 January 2010 (UK) 6.51 million "Manhood" (12 May 1993)
When a police constable, Nick Bentley, is shot by drug dealers while on foot patrol it seems like a pretty straightforward case. Brooks and Devlin eventually locate a witness who identifies one of the parties to the drug transaction and he finally tells the police what really happened. The witness also tells them something else: she saw another police constable standing in the shadows while the injured policeman was calling for help. The dead man's partner, PC Ray Griffin, claims to have been several blocks away when his partner was shot and lay bleeding to death but Brooks and Devlin find an anomaly in his formal statement and they decide to investigate. What they learn is that Bentley's fellow constables had recently learned of his sexual orientation and that his partner Griffin is the head of a Christian group of officers that rejects gays. For the Crown prosecutors, the question is whether they can make an argument that Griffin had a duty of care and was obliged to help his dying partner.
2 "Hidden" Julian Holmes Emilia di Girolamo 6 August 2009 (Canada)
18 January 2010 (UK) 6.53 million "Bitter Fruit" (20 September 1995)
Devlin and Brooks investigate the murder of a young girl, 10 year-old Jodie Gaines, who was kidnapped some two weeks before and has now been located, dead, in a rubbish bin. Witnesses on the day of the kidnapping reported seeing a white van in the area and they soon arrest Nick Carlton who is charged with murder. He is no sooner released on bail that he is killed by the dead girl's grieving mother, Kayleigh, a recovering drug addict who is separated from her husband who had formal custody of the child. Crown prosecutor James Steel seeks a murder conviction, even though he knows that Kayleigh will likely have the sympathy of the court. When it appears that Kayleigh is to be set free, Devlin and Brooks uncover a crucial piece of information.
3 "Community Service" Ken Grieve Catherine Tregenna 13 August 2009 (Canada)
25 January 2010 (UK) 6.07 million "Volunteers" (29 September 1993)
The police investigate an attack on a homeless bipolar man who is found severely beaten in a neighborhood park. The investigation reveals that the CCTV cameras had been turned away indicating that the attack may not have been random. They also find that many in the neighborhood are tight-lipped about the incident or about anything that might have happened on the night in question. When they do make an arrest, it falls to James Steel to make the case. Given the homeless man's record of constantly interfering and threatening however, will he be able to convince a jury that the attacker was doing anything but a public service?
4 "Sacrifice" Robert Del Maestro Terry Cafolla and
Nathan Cockerill 20 August 2009 (Canada)
1 February 2010 (UK) 6.06 million "Sonata For Solo Organ" (2 April 1991)
When a man is found lying on the ground with a kidney surgically removed, Brooks and Devlin have a case that they believed fell more into the category of urban myth than real-life crime. They quickly focus on finding the intended recipient of the stolen organ. Transplantation is highly controlled and centralized to prevent queue jumping but they soon find a recent transplantation that was completed from outside the system. They soon uncover a tale of a sick woman, a concerned parent and a greedy, disgruntled surgeon. For James Steel, the question becomes one of which of these to prosecute. When he makes his choice, he finds that his boss, George Castle, will defend the case.
5 "Love and Loss" Mark Everest Terry Cafolla 27 August 2009 (Canada)
8 February 2010 (UK) 6.34 million "Consultation" (9 December 1992)
When 18 year-old Debbie Powell dies from a heroin overdose just as she returns to the UK from a holiday in Thailand, the police learn that she was a drug mule with over 70 condoms of the drug in her stomach. With the dead girl far from being the usual drug mule the police try to understand why a young woman from a reasonably well-off family would get involved in drug smuggling. Her two traveling companions ran away after the girl died but they know she was to meet her boyfriend immediately on their return. When an arrest is made, James Steel and the Prosecution Service not only charge him drug importation but also with manslaughter, arguing that he had a duty of care with respect to the young woman. The man seems to have a history of seducing young women and using them as mules but in court, the Crown's principal witness recants his earlier statement saying the police coerced him. Steel pursues another strategy to ensure justice is done.
6 "Honour Bound" Andy Goddard Chris Chibnall 3 September 2009 (Canada)
15 February 2010 (UK) 6.28 million "Corruption" (30 October 1996)
When an undercover drug buy goes wrong, DS Ronnie Brooks finds himself in a very difficult spot. Brooks and DS Jimmy Valentine are posing as drug dealers when Valentine shoots the dealer claiming the man pulled a gun on him. Brooks was behind their car at the time and saw nothing but has known Valentine for many years and has no reason to doubt him. DS Matt Devlin on the other hand did not see the dead man pull a gun or do anything threatening and is given 24 hours by DI Natalie Chandler to find evidence or shut up. When the Crown Prosecution Service charges Valentine, the dirty cop testifies that Brooks was in on a drug theft. Ronnie has to call on an old friend to testify on his behalf but at a great cost to herself.



Reception

Independent writer Robin Jarossi attended a special preview of the premiere episode at the British Film Institute in London (attended to by Wolf, Chibnall, Daniels, and Agyeman) on 5 February 2009. Jarossi praised the uniquely British take on the franchise for balancing the new vision while maintaining the proven Law & Order formula. Jarossi specifically extolled the unexpected casting of Bradley Walsh, the excellent use of their London backdrop, and Chibnall's adaptation of the show. John Boland of the Irish Independent compared Law & Order: UK to the original, ultimately deciding that the former is just as engrossing as the latter, if its tone is slightly more jocular. Boland expects ITV "[has] a winner on its hands." Andrew Billen from The Times expects the series to be successful based on the premiere episode, and TV Times said that "those concerned can give themselves a pat on the back because this really, really works." The Daily Express' Matt Baylis described the new series as "a breath of fresh air [...], and the Daily Mirror said "It’s all highly professional and heroic."[4] Variety magazine called the series a hit, quoting NBC Universal as saying, "'Law and Order' has won its slot every week and is actually increasing its ratings."[
While Radio Times reviewer Alison Graham felt the series' execution was adequate, she criticized its pacing and writing; the former for not matching that of the original Law & Order programmes, and the latter for "[falling] headfirst into a typically British legal-drama trap of the noble prosecutor [...] crusading to bring the guilty to justice while pitted against the louche, self-serving defence barrister." Whereas, on the other hand, The Guardian's Sarah Dempster didn't feel that using the original series' camera work and stylings was appropriate for British crime drama: "Fiddly. And wrong.". However, later on in the series' run The Observer's Kathryn Flytt writes that despite her initial prejudices, the series "seems to have absorbed the pace and energy of the original without looking too tricksily derivative".
In Australia, Melinda Houston commented favourably in The Age on the show's opening series; opining that the fusion between British crime drama and the US Law and Order Franchise is like "a match made in Heaven."  The premiere episode which aired on 12 August 2009, only rated 775,000 viewers (compared with the average numbers of 1 million viewers on the major commercial networks) and was outside the top 15 rated shows for that period.

Law & Order

Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf, that airs on NBC, its related cable networks, and in syndication. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and is currently in its twentieth and last primetime season, which began airing on September 25, 2009. Law & Order is currently the longest running crime drama on American prime time television and is tied for longest running American drama of all time with Gunsmoke.
Set and filmed in New York City, the series follows a two part approach: in the first half hour, the investigation of a crime and apprehension of a suspect by New York City police detectives is shown, followed by the prosecution of the offenders by the Manhattan District Attorney's office in the second half. Plots are often based on real cases that have recently made headlines. The show has been noted for its revolving cast over the years. Its current season stars Jeremy Sisto as Detective Cyrus Lupo, Anthony Anderson as Detective Kevin Bernard, Linus Roache as Executive Assistant District Attorney Michael Cutter, and Alana de la Garza as Assistant District Attorney Connie Rubirosa.
The success of the series has led to the creation of additional shows within the Law & Order franchise, a television film, several video games, and international adaptations of the series. It has won and been nominated for numerous awards over the years, including a number of Emmy awards. On May 14, 2010, NBC announced that it had canceled Law & Order and would air the final episode on May 24, 2010. Wolf has since stated that he is trying to find a new home for the show to continue as a weekly series. Should all efforts to find a new home for the show fail, Wolf is also considering a "last resort" plan to conclude the show with a two hour TV film to air on NBC.



Production

History and development
In 1988, Dick Wolf developed a concept for a new television series that would depict a relatively optimistic picture of the American justice system. He initially toyed with the idea of calling it Night & Day but then hit upon the title Law & Order. For the first half of each episode, the show would follow two detectives and their commanding officer as they investigate a violent crime. The second half of the show would center around the District Attorney's Office and the courts as three prosecutors attempt to convict the criminal. Through this, Law & Order would be able to investigate some of the larger issues of the day by focusing on stories that were based on real cases making headlines.
Wolf took the idea to then-president of Universal Television Kerry McCluggage, who pointed out the similarity to a 1963 series titled Arrest and Trial that lasted one season. The two watched the pilot of that series, in which a police officer, played by Ben Gazzara, arrested a man for armed robbery in the first half, and the defense attorney, played by Chuck Connors gets the perpetrator off as the wrong guy. Wolf discovered this was the formula of the show every week, and decided that, while his detectives would occasionally be fallible as Gazzara's was, he wanted a fresh approach to the genre that would go from police procedural to prosecution with a greater degree of realism. In addition, the prosecution would be the hero instead of the defense, a reversal of the usual formula in lawyer dramas.
Initially, the show was ordered by Fox for thirteen episodes with no pilot based on the concept alone. The decision was reversed by then-network head Barry Diller, who loved the idea but did not believe it was a Fox show. Wolf then went to CBS, which ordered a pilot, "Everybody's Favorite Bagman", written by Wolf, which centered around corrupt city officials involved with the mob. The network liked the pilot but did not order it because there were no breakout stars in the show. In the summer of 1989, NBC's top executives, Brandon Tartikoff and Warren Littlefield, screened the pilot and liked it, but were concerned the intensity of the series could not be repeated on a week by week basis. However, there was enough faith from executives that the series was innovative and could appeal to a wide audience that the series was ordered by NBC for a full season in 1990.


Filming
The series is shot on location in New York City and is known for its extensive use of local color. In recent seasons, New York City mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, attorney William Kunstler and Bronx Congressman José Serrano all have appeared on the show as themselves. Local personalities also have had recurring cameos as fictional characters, such as Donna Hanover and Fran Lebowitz as judges. On September 14, 2004, in New York City, a road leading to Pier 62 at Chelsea Piers (where the series is mostly shot) was renamed "Law & Order Way" in tribute to the series.
Music and sound effects

Opening Theme

The Law & Order "clang" sound

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The music for Law & Order is composed by veteran composer Mike Post. The music is deliberately designed to be minimalist to match the abbreviated style of the series.Post wrote the theme song using electric piano, guitar, and clarinet. In addition, scene changes are accompanied by a tone generated by Post. He refers to the tone as "The Clang," while Entertainment Weekly critic Ken Tucker has referred to the sound as the "ominous chung CHUNG" and Richard Belzer as "the Dick Wolf Cash Register Sound." The tone consists of only two notes and was generated electronically combining six or seven different sounds to get just the right deadbolt effect. Post has noted one of the sounds the interlude incorporates the sound of "five hundred Japanese men stamping their feet on a wooden floor. The sound has become so associated with the Law & Order brand that it was also carried over to other series of the franchise.



Casting and characters


The twentieth and last season cast of Law & Order; from left, S. Epatha Merkerson as Van Buren (which she has played for 13 seasons), Jeremy Sisto as Lupo, Anthony Anderson as Bernard, Sam Waterston as McCoy, Alana de la Garza as Rubirosa, and Linus Roache as Cutter.
For the 1988 pilot, George Dzundza and Chris Noth were cast as the original detectives, Sergeant Max Greevey and Mike Logan. Among others, Dzundza was up against Jerry Orbach for the role, and the producers felt that Dzundza would be a perfect senior police officer as he was someone the producers felt they could see themselves riding along with in a police cruiser. Noth and Michael Madsen were candidates for the role of Logan. Madsen initially was considered the perfect choice for the role, but, in a final reading, it was felt that Madsen's acting mannerisms were repetitive, and Noth received the role instead. Rounding out the police cast, Dann Florek was cast as Captain Donald Cragen.
On the prosecutor's side, Michael Moriarty was Dick Wolf's choice to play Chief Assistant District Attorney Ben Stone. The network, however, preferred James Naughton, but, in the end, Wolf's choice would prevail, and Moriarty received the role. As his ADA, Richard Brooks and Eriq La Salle were being considered for the role of Paul Robinette. The network favored La Salle but, once again, the producers' choice prevailed, and Brooks received the role.As their boss, Roy Thinnes was cast as District Attorney Alfred Wentworth.
Nearly two years passed between the pilot and production of the series. The producers held options on Dzundza, Noth, Moriarty, and Brooks. Each was paid holding money for the additional year and brought back. Florek also returned. Thinnes, however, was starring in Dark Shadows and declined to return. In his place, the producers tapped Steven Hill to play District Attorney Adam Schiff, a character loosely based on real-life Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau. Hill brought prestige and experience to the show and, as such, the producers allowed Hill to give insight on the direction he thought the character should go.
Dzundza was disappointed when he realized the show would be more of an ensemble show than a show starring him. Though the cast liked his portrayal of Greevey, they increasingly felt uncomfortable around Dzundza, who was also under stress due to the constant commute between New York City and his home in Los Angeles. Dzundza quit after only one season on the show. Dzundza was replaced on the show by Paul Sorvino as Detective Sergeant Phil Cerreta, who was considered more even tempered than either Greevey or Logan. Sorvino was initially excited about the role, but would leave after twenty-nine episodes, citing the exhausting schedule demanded by filming of the show, a need to broaden his horizons, and the desire to preserve his vocal chords for singing opera as reasons for leaving the show.
Also introduced on a recurring basis in the second season was Carolyn McCormick as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet, a police psychiatrist brought in on a case-by-case basis. NBC had been pushing for the producers to add female characters to the all male cast. She was added to the opening credits as "also starring" in seasons three and four but, despite the attempts of the producers to include her in as many episodes as possible, it was found to be difficult to incorporate her into the show due to the format leaning heavy on the police and prosecutors. She was removed from the credits in season five.McCormick stayed with the show on a recurring basis, but believed that the character had become less profound and complex, and that her role had been reduced mostly to "psychobabble." She left to star in Cracker after the eighth season.After the cancellation of Cracker, she returned beginning in the thirteenth season and has appeared occasionally since.
Jerry Orbach was initially hesitant about starring in an hour long drama after witnessing the exhausting effect it had on his friend David Janssen on The Fugitive, but changed his mind as he got older. He had twice before auditioned for the role of the senior detective in 1988 and 1991. When Dzundza and Sorvino were picked instead of him, he made a guest appearance as a defense lawyer in the season two episode "The Wages of Love." While there, Orbach heard Sorvino raving about the quality of the show and how Sorvino believed he had found a winning series to do. After Sorvino's departure during the third season, Orbach decided to audition a third time and was given the role of Detective Lennie Briscoe.
By the end of the third season, network executives still felt the show did not have enough female characters. On the orders of Warren Littlefield, new female characters had to be added to the cast or the show would face possible cancellation on its relegated Friday night time slot. Wolf realized that, since there were only six characters on the show, someone had to be fired. He choose Florek and Brooks, and later said it was the hardest two phone calls he had ever made. Though producers initially claimed the firings, especially Brooks, who was said not to get along with Moriarty, were for other reasons, Wolf confirmed that the firings were on the orders of Littlefield. To replace Florek, S. Epatha Merkerson was cast as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren. Jill Hennessy replaced Brooks as Assistant District Attorney Claire Kincaid.
Meanwhile, Moriarty's behavior both on and off the set became problematic for Wolf. After a public statement in which Moriarty called Attorney General Janet Reno a "psychopathic Nazi" for her efforts to censor television violence, Moriarty engaged in a verbal confrontation with Reno at a dinner in Washington, D.C. Wolf asked Moriarty to tone down his comments, and Moriarty responded by quitting the show the next week. To replace Moriarty, Sam Waterston was Wolf's first choice to join the cast as Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy, a character markedly different from Moriarty's Stone in that McCoy was conceived as more emotionally stable and having more sex appeal than Stone.
Wolf fired Noth when his contract ended at the end of season five because he felt that Briscoe and Logan were too alike and the writers were having trouble finding ways to write them since they agreed on everything. Noth had been disgruntled with the show since the firings of Florek and Brooks, and remained embittered against Wolf, who he felt was not a friend to his actors. The decision to fire Noth was extremely controversial with fans and critics alike, who felt that Noth's absence left a void on the show that was never filled. Noth was replaced by Benjamin Bratt as Detective Rey Curtis, who was hired in an attempt to find an actor even sexier than Noth to join the cast.
Hennessy chose not to renew her three year contract at the end of the sixth season to pursue other projects. She was replaced by Carey Lowell as Assistant District Attorney Jamie Ross. Lowell remained with the show for two seasons until the end of season eight, when she left the show to spend more time with her daughter. Lowell was replaced by Angie Harmon as Assistant District Attorney Abbie Carmichael, who was conceived as being much louder and outspoken than any of her predecessors. Harmon auditioned with eighty-five other women, including Vanessa Williams, for the role, and was picked after Wolf heard her Texan accent.
Bratt left the series at the end of the ninth season, stating it was an amicable departure and he expected to eventually return for guest appearances. He was replaced by Jesse L. Martin as Detective Ed Green, who was conceived of as more of a loose cannon in the mold of Logan than Bratt's Curtis had been. In 2000, Hill announced he was leaving the series at the end of season 10. Hill, who was the last remaining member of the original cast, said his departure was mutual with the producers. He was replaced by Dianne Wiest as Interim District Attorney Nora Lewin. The following year, Harmon departed the show after three seasons and was replaced by Elisabeth Röhm as Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn.After two seasons, Wiest left the show at the end of the twelfth season and was replaced by retiring Senator Fred Dalton Thompson as District Attorney Arthur Branch, whose character was conceived of as being much more right leaning than his predecessors in the DA's office, and was a direct reaction to the September 11 attacks.
After twelve years on Law & Order, Orbach announced in 2004 that he was leaving the show for the third Law & Order spin-off, Law & Order: Trial by Jury. At the time, Orbach would not state the reason for his departure. In December of the same year, however, Orbach revealed he had prostate cancer and Wolf said the role on Trial by Jury was designed to be less taxing than his role on the original series. Orbach was only able to film two episodes of Trial by Jury before succumbing to his cancer on December 28, 2004. Orbach was replaced on Law & Order by Dennis Farina as Detective Joe Fontana.
The fifteenth season would also see the departure of Röhm mid-season. Röhm had never been popular with fans, and her departure has been called the worst in the franchise's history, with Southerlyn implying to McCoy and Branch that she is being fired because she is lesbian, a fact never cited before her departure. Wolf said Röhm's departure was unexpected, and she exited the show in January 2005. Her replacement was Annie Parisse as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Borgia. Later that season, Martin departed early for the season to film Rent. During his absence, he was temporarily replaced by Michael Imperioli as Detective Nick Falco. Parisse left the series at the end of the sixteenth season when Borgia was killed, and Farina announced shortly afterwords that he was leaving Law & Order to pursue other projects.
By this point, NBC executives believed the franchise was beginning to show its age as ratings for the show had dropped 15 percent from the previous season and 30 percent over the previous three seasons.Farina had never been popular with fans when he replaced Orbach, and it was felt that the cast just did not seem to mesh well together. In an effort to revitalize the show, Wolf brought in Alana de la Garza as Assistant District Attorney Connie Rubirosa to replace Parisse. Martin's Green was promoted to senior detective, replacing Farina, and his new partner was Detective Nina Cassady, played by Milena Govich, who had worked with Wolf on the short-lived series Conviction, and served as the show's first female detective. Govich proved to be even more unpopular with fans than her predecessor, however, and she only stayed with the show one season and she was replaced the next season by Jeremy Sisto as Detective Cyrus Lupo. Around the same time, Thompson announced he would leave the show in order to seek the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. Waterston's McCoy was promoted to Interim District Attorney and Linus Roache joined the cast as Executive Assistant District Attorney Michael Cutter.Sisto in particular received praise for his portrayal of Lupo, with critics saying he was an improvement over Govich. Ken Tucker sees the relationship between McCoy and Cutter as "a nicely overstated case of oedipal conflict. McCoy sees in Cutter his younger, more impetuous self, while Cutter sees an aging father figure he wants to vanquish by proving he's smarter and more daring than the old coot. It makes for some superfine debates over points of law that also carry personal, emotional weight for the protagonists, an approach the Law & Order mothership has rarely taken over the years." Other critics said the line-up was the best in years, with the chemistry finally seeming just right after years of cast members who did not seem to fit well in the cast.
Despite critics' praise, the line-up was short-lived. Martin announced he would leave the show near the end of the season to pursue other endeavors. He was replaced by Anthony Anderson as Detective Kevin Bernard. In 2010, prior to the show's cancellation Merkerson announced she would leave the show at the conclusion of the twentieth season.




Format

"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."
—Opening narration spoken by Steven Zirnkilton
The cold open, lead-in of the show usually is a slice of life in New York (walking a dog in Manhattan, jogging in Central Park, etc.) unrelated to the main story until the character(s) in the scene suddenly discover, witness, or become victims of a crime (usually a murder). The scene cuts to the police's preliminary crime scene examination wherein the featured detectives make their first observations and proffer theories followed by a witticism or two, before the title sequence begins.
The police are represented in the show by the police lieutenant of Manhattan's fictional 27th Precinct and two homicide detectives, a senior partner and a junior partner. The detectives investigate the crime, collect evidence and interview witnesses, then regularly report to the lieutenant. The evidence leads to the arrest of one or more suspects. The matter then is taken over by the prosecutors of the Manhattan District Attorney's office, comprising the executive assistant district attorney (ADA) and an assistant prosecutor, who answer to the district attorney. They discuss deals, prepare the witnesses and evidence, and conduct the people's case in the trial. Both the detectives and prosecutors work with the medical examiner's office, the crime laboratory, and psychiatrists from the police and district attorney offices.
The detectives often have few or no good clues—they might not even know the victim's identity—and must chase several dead ends before finding a likely suspect. Towards the middle of a show, the police begin working with the prosecutors to make the arrest, and an arraignment scene follows. The police may reappear to testify in court or to arrest another suspect, but most investigation in the second segment is done by the assistant DAs, who always consult with the district attorney for advice on the case.
Unlike many legal dramas (e.g. Perry Mason), the proceedings are shown from the prosecution's point of view, with the ADAs trying to prove the defendant's guilt as opposed to his or her innocence. The second half usually opens with the arraignment of defendants and proceeds to trial preparation, including legal research and plea negotiations. Some episodes include legal proceedings beyond the testimony of witnesses, including indictments before grand juries; motion hearings, often concerning admissibility of evidence; selections of juries; and allocutions, usually as a result of plea bargains. Many episodes employ motions to suppress evidence as a plot device, and most of these end with evidence or statements being suppressed, often on a technicality. This usually begins with the service of the motion to the ADAs, follows with argument and case citations of precedent before a judge in some setting, and concludes with visual reaction of the winning or losing attorney.
In many episodes, the crime first investigated is not the one that goes to court (a person related to the deceased kills the killer, someone else is found to be involved, evidence of a separate crime is discovered, etc.). This other crime then becomes the focus of investigation.



"Ripped from the Headlines"

Often the plot of an initial portion of an episode resembles a recognizable aspect of an actual case. In early seasons, the details of these cases often closely followed the real stories, such as the season one episode "Subterranean Homeboy Blues", which had a woman shooting two attempted muggers and paralleled the Bernhard Goetz case. Another early episode focused on a racially charged rape case that mimicked the Tawana Brawley case. Later seasons would take real life cases as inspiration but diverge more from the facts. Often this would be done by increasing the severity of the crime in question, usually by adding a murder. This "ripped from the headlines" theme is reflected in the opening credits sequence that evolves from newspaper halftones to high-resolution photos. The rest of the plot, however, usually diverges significantly from the actual events that may have inspired the episode. Promotional advertisements of episodes with close real-life case parallels often use the "ripped from the headlines" phrase, although a textual disclaimer, within the actual episode, emphasizes that the story and characters are fictional. This format lends itself to exploring different outcomes or motives that similar events could have had under other circumstances. Some real life crime victims have felt used and exploited, with one lawyer, Ravi Batra, going so far as to sue the show in 2004 for libel.



Episodes

Law & Order premiered September 13, 1990 and is currently airing on NBC, with 455 episodes having been produced.

Cancellation

On May 13, 2010, reports surfaced that Law & Order might be canceled after 20 seasons on the air, preventing it from unseating Gunsmoke as longest running American primetime drama unless another network picked it up.By May 14, 2010, The New York Times, Daily Variety and the Los Angeles Times reported official cancellation of the series. Continuation of characters on spin-off series — including the forthcoming Law & Order: Los Angeles — has been mentioned as a possible means of providing closure beyond the series finale.
On May 14, 2010, NBC officially canceled the show, opting instead to pick-up Law & Order: Los Angeles for a first season, and renewed Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for a twelfth. The cancellation was announced after last-minute talks between NBC and Dick Wolf to extend the series failed to lead to an agreement.
The chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment, Jeff Gaspin, stated: "The full measure of the collective contributions made by Dick Wolf and his Law & Order franchise over the last two decades to the success of NBC and Universal Media Studios cannot be overstated. The legacy of his original Law & Order series will continue to make an impact like no other series before."
Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios, said, "Law & Order has been one of the most successful franchises in the history of television, which is why it is so critical that we continue this important brand and our relationship with Dick Wolf and his team with L&O: LA and Law & Order: SVU."
Following the cancellation announcement, Wolf announced that he still hoped to continue the series, and stated that he was seeking "other offers" from potential outlets to air the series. Wolf also discussed the possibility of airing a two hour TV film on NBC to conclude Law & Order, but said that such a plan had been delayed until he had exhausted every other possibility for continuing the series. Wolf did not specify whether NBC had already offered to air such a movie.
Dick Wolf stated that, "The flagship series is in a medically induced coma, waiting for a live-saving medicine." Wolf's pressuring the series's producer NBC/Universal Media Studios to make a TNT deal for originals if an acceptable license fee can be bargained. Talks between the two will start up after upfronts.



Spin-offs and adaptations

Law & Order (franchise)

The longevity and success of Law & Order has spawned a number of series and a television film that all use the name Law & Order. Although there were fears initially that the failure of such shows could hurt the original series, it was felt the brand name was needed because of the commercial desirability such a brand name creates To differentiate it from other series in the franchise, Law & Order is often referred to as "The Mother Ship" by producers and critics.




Exiled: A Law & Order Movie


The firing of Chris Noth in 1995 was, at the time, one of the least popular cast changes among fans. Noth remained popular with fans after his firing and received so much fan mail as a result that he had to hire a personal assistant to help him handle the volume. Although Dick Wolf defended the decision to fire Noth, he decided in 1998 to produce a television film that would explore what happened to Noth's Detective Mike Logan after he left the series. Originally titled Logan in Exile, the film's title was changed to Exiled: A Law & Order Movie during production. The film shows Logan as an officer on Staten Island assigned to domestic crimes. He takes on a murder case in the hopes of it leading to a return to his old Manhattan beat and is teamed with Detective Frankie Silvera (Dana Eskelson). The case soon leads to his old precinct, however, and the possibility that one of his old colleagues may be taking bribes from the mob. The movie was criticized for not measuring up to the standards of the series and for placing Noth in a blatantly dominant role in the story. Wolf had planned to make Exiled the first in a series of films in the franchise, but the film was less successful than expected and, as a result, future plans for films were eliminated. The movie also marks the final appearance of John Fiore in his recurring role as Detective Tony Profaci.



Law & Order: Special Victims Unit


Haunted by the murders of Robert Chambers, Dick Wolf planned a new television series to focus on the investigation of sexually-based offenses and serve as a mechanism for addressing complex issues through the context of popular culture. Originally titled Sex Crimes, the show was renamed Law & Order: Special Victims Unit to take advantage of the popularity of the original series. Starring Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler and Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson, the series premiered on September 20, 1999 and is currently in its 11th season. Also reprising their roles are Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen, a role he originated in the first three seasons of the original series, and Richard Belzer as Detective Sergeant John Munch, a character originally featured on Homicide: Life on the Street that also appeared in three crossover episodes for Law & Order. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has become the highest rated show of the franchise and has won and been nominated for numerous awards, including an Emmy award for Hargitay as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series during the 2005–2006 season.



Law & Order: Criminal Intent

The second series of the franchise, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, premiered on September 30, 2001. Focusing almost exclusively on the investigation of high profile crimes, the series follows the detectives of the NYPD's Major Case Squad. The show originally starred Vincent D'Onofrio as Detective Robert Goren and Kathryn Erbe as Detective Alexandra Eames. Unlike the other series of the franchise, Criminal Intent showed the crimes from the perspective of the criminal(s) as well as of the police. In season 5, Chris Noth joined the cast, reprising his role as Detective Mike Logan, a role he played in the first five seasons of the original series. He would star in half of each season's episodes, alternating with D'Onofrio and Erbe,In 2007, facing sagging ratings and the possibility of cancellation, new episodes of Criminal Intent were moved from NBC to the USA Network, where the series received a larger audience and has run since. Noth departed the series in 2008 and was replaced by Jeff Goldblum as Detective Zach Nichols. D'Onofrio and Erbe left the series at the beginning of the ninth season in 2010, and Goldblum now stars in all current episodes, along with his partner, Detective Serena Stevens, played by Saffron Burrows.



Law & Order: Trial by Jury


The third series of the franchise, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, premiered on March 3, 2005. Unlike the other series of the franchise, Trial by Jury focused almost exclusively on the prosecution of criminal offenses, and often showed cases from the perspectives of defense attorneys and judges as well as the prosecutors. The series starred Bebe Neuwirth as Assistant District Attorney Tracey Kibre and Amy Carlson as Assistant District Attorney Kelly Gaffney, the first time a Law & Order series has featured two female leads. Also reprising their roles from the original series were Jerry Orbach as retired NYPD Detective-turned-DA Investigator Lennie Briscoe, who was originally planned as a regular but was only able to film two episodes due to his illness, and Fred Dalton Thompson as District Attorney Arthur Branch, playing the role simultaneously on both series. Reception of the new series was mixed, with some critics feeling like it would be a fourth hit for Wolf, while other critics believed the show was unoriginal and put defendants and defense attorneys in an overly negative light. Trial by Jury was canceled by NBC after only thirteen episodes, making it the first series of the franchise to be canceled.



Law & Order: Los Angeles
On January 10, 2010, NBC programming chief Angela Bromstad announced at the winter TCA Press Tour that the network was in talks with Dick Wolf about producing a new series, entitled Law & Order: Los Angeles, and indicated that NBC was seeking to hire writers for a pilot.
Reports in early May suggested that NBC had made the decision to pick up Law & Order: Los Angeles with a 13-episode order for fall 2010, having brought Brotherhood creator Blake Masters on board to co-create the new series set in Los Angeles with Wolf. NBC confirmed the new series order on May 14, 2010. The fall timeslot for Law & Order: Los Angeles will be Wednesdays at 10:00 P.M. (Eastern) on NBC.
The series will be the first series in the Law & Order franchise to be set outside New York and the fifth series in the franchise.



Crime & Punishment

In 2002, Dick Wolf produced a reality series based around the prosecution of cases in the District Attorney's office of San Diego, California. Alternately titled Crime & Punishment and Law & Order: Crime & Punishment, elements of Law & Order were used to take advantage of the franchise including using the same font as the original series' title screen, opening narration similar to that of other franchise shows, and the use of Mike Post's "clang" sound. Each episode followed a different case and a different prosecutor as a case unfolded in the court room. Often the prosecutor was the only fully "fleshed out" character in each episode while witnesses appeared and disappeared without much development and defendants often did not testify in open court. Because of this, many critics felt the series had more in common with shows such as COPS or The Jerry Springer Show than it did with Law & Order.The series ran for 26 episodes between 2002 and 2004.
British adaptation
Main article: Law & Order: UK
Law & Order: UK, named Law & Order: London in early reports, received its debut airing on February 23, 2009, on one of Britain's main commercial networks ITV. The series stars Bradley Walsh, Jamie Bamber, Freema Agyeman, Harriet Walter and Bill Paterson, with scripts based on episodes from the US original. It is produced by Kudos in association with Wolf Films and NBC.



Crossovers and other appearances

Law & Order crossed over seven times with other NBC shows.
Homicide: Life on the Street
"Charm City" (Law & Order 6x13), continued in "For God and Country" (Homicide: Life on the Street 4x12)
"Baby, It's You – Part I" (Law & Order 8x6), continued in "Baby, It's You – Part II" (Homicide: Life on the Street 6x5)
"Sideshow – Part I" (Law & Order 9x14), continued in "Sideshow – Part II" (Homicide: Life on the Street 7x15)
While not considered a cross over episode, Chris Noth appears in the before-the-credits sequence of the Homicide episode "Law and Disorder" (ep 3x15). Taking place entirely in a Baltimore train station, Logan hands off a prisoner (John Waters) to Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher). The two detectives engage in some friendly banter about which city is better: New York City or Baltimore. They argue over topics such as Babe Ruth and Dorothy Parker.



Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
"Entitled – Part I" (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 1x15), continued in "Entitled – Part II" (Law & Order 10x14)
"Design" (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 7x2), continued in "Flaw" (Law & Order 16x2)



Law & Order: Criminal Intent
During the first season of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, several cast members from the original series made guest appearances as their Law & Order characters. Dianne Wiest appeared in the first episode of the series, "One", Jerry Orbach and Jesse L. Martin guest starred in the episode "Poison", S. Epatha Merkerson appeared in the episode "Badge", and J.K. Simmons appeared in the episode "Crazy." Leslie Hendrix also reprises her role as Medical Examiner Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers as a recurring character throughout the run of the series starting with the first season episode "The Faithful."
In 2005, Chris Noth reprised his role as Detective Mike Logan for the show's fourth season. This appearance led to Noth joining the cast in the fifth season, appearing in the starring role for half the episodes of the season. Noth remained with the show for three seasons before departing in 2008. Also appearing during the show's fifth season were Fred Dalton Thompson[88] and Carolyn McCormick.



Law & Order: Trial by Jury
Fred Dalton Thompson appeared as a regular in Trial by Jury, reprising his role from the original series.Jerry Orbach was originally planned as a regular but was only able to appear in two episodes before succumbing to prostate cancer. A crossover episode between Trial by Jury and the original series featured the resolution of Ed Green's shooting during the fifteenth season episode of the original series, "Tombstone," and featured Dennis Farina, Jesse L. Martin, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Sam Waterston.Carey Lowell appears in two episodes of Trial by Jury as Jamie Ross, who is now a judge. Also appearing on Trial by Jury were Leslie Hendrix in the episode "Baby Boom" and Carolyn McCormick in the episode "Day."




Other appearances
Carolyn McCormick and J. K. Simmons each made appearances on the FOX series New York Undercover, a series produced and co-created by Dick Wolf, in the psychiatrist roles they originated in Law & Order. McCormick appeared in the show's third season episode "Smack is Back" as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet. while Simmons appeared in the fourth season episode "Mob Street" as Dr. Emil Skoda.Fred Dalton Thompson also appeared in a cameo as District Attorney Arthur Branch in the first episode of the short-lived Wolf-produced series Conviction, which also featured Stephanie March reprising her Special Victims Unit role as Bureau Chief Alexandra Cabot.