Law & Order, Trial By Jury: The Complete Series

Amazon.com

There are plenty of things about Law & Order: Trial by Jury, the fourth series and third spinoff (after SVU and Criminal Intent) in executive producer Dick Wolf's popular and reliable franchise, that loyal viewers will find familiar, even comforting. There's the taut, ripped-from-the-headlines storytelling; the Kobe Bryant rape case (in "Pattern of Conduct") and the infamous Amadou Diallo shooting (in "Forty-One Shots") are but two examples among the fourteen episodes in this three-disc set. There are appearances, some of them recurring, by Sam Waterston, Fred Thompson, the late Jerry Orbach (in his final episodes as Det. Lennie Briscoe), and other stalwarts from the original series. There's an SVU "cross-over" episode, and another ("Skeleton") that follows up on the shooting of L & O detective Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin). And then there's the theme music, the intro ("In the criminal justice system")… and that ineffable sound that leads from one scene to another. Yet Trial by Jury also has many aspects that set it apart from the other Law & Order shows. In focusing not on police procedure but on the trial process, it shines a brighter light on the defendants (who in most cases have already been apprehended when an episode starts), the juries (including the selection process, deliberations, and the role of jury consultants), the various lawyers' strategies, and even the judges' personal opinions. All of that leads to some interesting situations, like the scene in "Forty-One Shots" that finds a group of policemen, barred from the courtroom for making a disturbance during the trial of a cop killer, waiting anxiously outside for the verdict. Nevertheless, there are reasons why Trial by Jury failed to connect with viewers, airing for just two months in 2005 before being canceled by NBC. The cast is one of them; for example, A.D.A. Tracey Kibre (Bebe Neuwirth), the lead prosecutor, is tough but not especially likable. More than that, with its predilection for tight close-ups, personal details, melodrama, and such, the series is simply too much like standard nighttime TV fare. Good but not great, Law & Order: Trial by Jury (the set includes a few deleted scenes and a short featurette) will certainly have its adherents, but it falls a little short of its distinguished predecessors. --Sam Graham

Description

The jury is in! From creator Dick Wolf comes the most innovative Law & Order series yet: Law & Order: Trial by Jury - The Complete Series. Partner up with Jerry Orbach, Fred Dalton Thompson and Bebe Neuwirth to explore the judicial system like never before: not only from the point of view of police and prosecutors, but also the defense team, judges, jurors and the defendants themselves. This highly collectible three-disc DVD set contains all 13 original episodes of the entire series, including one never broadcast on network TV! Plus witness exciting deleted scenes, a landmark Law & Order: SVU cross-over episode starring Chris Meloni and Emmy winner Mariska Hargitay, the philosophy behind this unique show presented by the cast members, and powerful guest-star performances from Lorraine Bracco, Peter Coyote and Candice Bergen. You have the right to Law & Order: Trial by Jury!

Customer Reviews:

Trial by Jury..........2007-07-10

A good Law and Order series but not as good as the original one or the subsequent followers. The whole story is what is missing even though the end result is just as important.

Good series,but it has it's problems.......2007-06-08

I first became a fan of the Law and Order franchise when I watched the first series of the original.Then came Criminal Intent followed by SVU.I was getting hooked on the real life Crime and Punishment and I wondered why the plug was pulled.Trial by Jury was good,but it had its flaws.I'm more of a fan of the original and SVU.When Dennis Farina was brought in to replace Jerry Orbach,I thought it was a very good decision.But I was sadden Dennis Farina left the series.He and Jesse Martin's character were a good formula.Despite massive cast changes the franchise will survive.There have been a lot of talk the Law and Order franchise is in a big rivalry with the CSI franchise.This would make great TV.I watch Law and Order because I get into the story faster than CSI.When I am writing my novels I watch the Law and Order episodes,it helps with my writers'block.

Why did they stop after 1 season???.......2007-02-14

I was saddened by Jerry Orbach's death as well as most of his fans were. I think that they had a strong cast though and would have been able to carry the show. I think it was a much better show than Law and Order Criminal Intent,which just confuses me. LOL. I wonder if they will bring it back? I wish they would.

Jerry Orbach's death and uninspired scripts doomed this show.......2006-12-24

Trial By Jury failed to live up to its potential. The first few episodes held out the promise of an in-depth look at how the legal system works from all angles, including the jury, but this was quickly altered to a focus on the Bebe Neuwirth character and her investigators. In effect, it became an hour-long version of the second half of the original L&O. Still, the show was interesting and entertaining, and its crossovers with other L&O shows were fun. I enjoyed Neuwirth, both her acting and her character. I wasn't put off at all by her terse manner or cynicism, and I think she had pretty good chemistry with her female sidekick. Some of the storylines did seem to be retreads of stories from other L&O shows, but if the writers could have managed to overcome that trend, and stayed true to the show's original potential, then it might have been another strong entry in the L&O franchise.

I do have to say, however, that even though I liked the show, the fact that its creativity started waning after a few episodes caused me to be less disappointed by its cancellation than I might have been. Jerry Orbach, who was intended to be a regular on the show playing Lenny Briscoe, could have been the sympathetic character this show was missing, but his worsening illness and then death put an end to those plans and probably this show. He was only able to show up during the first two episodes, and even then he looked quite ill. These days, networks aren't generally willing to give a series time to come into its own. If you don't produce ratings in the first half dozen outings, its generally cancellation time.

I'd recommend this DVD for those of us who are dyed in the wool L&O fans, but if you're not in this category, you might not really like this show that much.

I Knew This One Would Fail.......2006-10-17

When I saw the previews for this show, I was ecstatic. It was Lilith and Murphy Brown in a new show. Of course, I'm referring to Bebe Neuwirth and Candace Bergen (I apologize if my spelling is inaccurate. Too lazy to look up the proper spellings of their respective names). So, I eagerly tuned into this new series since I love these two actresses and I love Law & Order. The first episode was okay, but I felt there was simply TOO MUCH going on! It was hard to keep pace with the show. Everyone talked too fast about too many complicated legal things. You had the defense, the prosecution, the judge, the jury, the families of the accused, the defendant...just TOO many people, too much information.

As soon as the episode was over, I said to my boyfriend, "Wow. They are going to have to dumb this down for American people." I'm not saying Americans are dumb because I am one, but this was one show that didn't appeal to the O.C./American Idol generation of TV viewers we have now. You really had to want to stick with this show and give it a chance. It was very fast paced and there was a lot to take in.

Still, it's sad that this didn't last. I would've liked to have seen this show develop, just like the other Law & Order shows have.

Trial by Media (aka An American Daughter)

Average customer rating:

tedious
If the President calls...
excellent, little known film
A convincing portrayal of the media's role in politics!
A convincing portrayal of the media's role in politics!

Trial by Media (aka An American Daughter)
Starring: Christine Lahti , Tom Skerritt , Jay Thomas , Mark Feuerstein , and Stanley Anderson
Director: Sheldon Larry
Manufacturer: Starlight Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Drama | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

ASIN: B00005NKSY
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Description

She is a respected doctor and pioneer of woman's rights. She decides on a political career. The media gets hold of a small indiscretion in her past. It causes a political frenzy. She is forced to make a choice...speak her mind and preserve her self-respect at the risk of losing the campaign, or play the media game.

Customer Reviews:

tedious.......2006-01-23

This movie was tedious and irritating. My husband and I almost turned it off, but waited until the boring end. The acting was top notch, with stellar performances, but the subject matter fizzled. It was like watching an extended snitty cat fight. The movie raises plenty of issues about the nature of politics and media for discussion. But it was difficult to endure. (Plot spoiler ahead) I could not understand how Hughes kept trusting the reporter who was destroying her. I also could not buy his excuse that he was just doing his job. A better title would have been aggravation.

If the President calls..........2004-11-29

Maybe you shouldn't answer. In this very interesting film, Lyssa Dent Hughes (Christine Lahti) is nominated to become the Surgeon General after the sitting SG is killed in a plane crash. Hughes comes from a long-standing political family (she's a descendant of President Grant) with a father who is a long-serving Senator from Indiana.

Hughes is married to Walter Hughes, a professor of sociology. They have two children. All are soon to be caught up in a whirlwind after Lyssa Hughes proceeds to turn a pleasant brunch with her family, friends and the press into a series of gaffes which take on a life of their own, starting with the matter of the jury summons. The friends they have after a lifetime in and near the public eye take sides that suit their own careers. Case in point are a couple of journalists who pounce on the misstatements by Ms. Hughes to further their own goals.

Complicating the mix is the reappearance of Quincy Quince (Blake Lindsley) as Walter's 'celebrity' student, who is eager to rekindle an affair with Walter.

If you're at all interested in how the mechinations of the political class operate behind the scenes, this is your movie. It plays pretty real, with the cynical news organizations camping out in front of the embattled Surgeon General nominee's house, the firestorm that ratchets up as the entire nation takes sides, the talking head shows pick up the story, and so on.

I do have to admit that Ms. Hughes displays a pretty significant tin ear when it comes to her press interviews. And a pretty price is to be paid for that tin ear.

Good performances all around, as well as an interesting subject matter. Recommended.

excellent, little known film.......2002-08-01

this is a great video, apparently not available everywhere. for people who liked "the candidate," "the contender," and other stuff like that, this is a must see.

A convincing portrayal of the media's role in politics!.......2001-08-05

This movie (which was based on the play "An American Daughter", by Wendy Wasserstein), shows how the media can turn an innocent past mistake by a political candidate (Christine Lahti) into an issue that the whole country is talking about. Sound familiar? Issues like this constantly plague the news now, and this movie shows how ludicrous it all is. Tom Skerritt is in this movie too, an adds quite a convincing performance as Lahti's seemingly weak husband. Two thumbs up for the movie and for Lahti!! I feel this is one of Christine Lahti's best performances. She takes you inside the life of a politician, who is being shunned by the media (thus, the nation) for reasons that are debatable.

A convincing portrayal of the media's role in politics!.......2001-08-05

Product Description

Great Britain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), SYNOPSIS: In the aftermath of a student's suicide, a schoolteacher finds herself socially ostracized and facing criminal charges. SPECIAL FEATURES: Biographies, Interactive Menu, Making Of, Scene Access, Trailer(s),

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