L & O was originally good because it was based on real cases and focused primarily on the actual case, rather than the soap opera of the characters. The first half would be about the police building a case, the second half about the lawyers winning that case. It had a very realistic flavor to it, rather than an artificial drama.
Criminal intent is a little less realistic, as it follows the usual trope of brilliant detective, as set out in Sherlock Holmes, but still maintains a pretty good show.
However if you're looking for voyeuristic titillation and histrionics about the victims, you won't enjoy it.
My favorites are SVU and CI. If I had to pick one though, I would go with SVU - but only because they really tug at the heartstrings. CI is less about sexually based crimes and more about other crimes (of course, usually someone dies in the process).
Sometimes you'll see characteres from either show popping up to help (I remember seeing characters from the original L&O on SVU as well).
A lot of the cases are interesting; and just like SVU, some are ripped from the headlines (there was one that was obviously based on Anna Nicole Smith's death).
Chris Noth plays one of the lead detectives (if you've seen The Good Wife or Sex in the City, he's in both shows).
Why are you sad, the series has not been cancelled. They are still making new episodes.
The new law and order svu season restarts next week.
I loved C and I. It is different to SVU, but it is still as enjoyable. I would highly recommend.
If you want to see the cast of SVU again, they also appear in a couple of the regular Law and Order series, Law and Order CI and the short lived Law and Order, Trial by Jury.
If you like the actress Mariska Hargitay ( Olivia), look for the movie Plain Truth. Part of it might be on you tube.
SVU is only on mid season break and starts back this coming Wednesday. With Criminal Intent, they show you right off who committed the crime but then investigate to catch them and find out why they did it.
the show is still good although Mariska is now the only original cast member left along with Ice T who came in the second season, but the people added fit in great, so continue to enjoy the show until it ends.
SVU is my favorite of the two, but CI has some really good episodes. CI's main difference is that it focuses on the killer more so than SVU. The show has more than one set of detectives, so that may cause confusion with those watching for the first time. Start with the Goren/Eames episodes and then go from there.
So i finished watching every season of Law & Order SVU, and im really sad because that show was my whole life. I mean i loved it.
I need to know if Law & Order criminal intent is kind of as good as svu? are the cases just as interesting? I need to know if that would also be a good show.
