David Annandale

Law and Order – The First Year

Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on February 2nd, 2003

Film

“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 …” Law and Order is an example of a bygone day in network television. In the 1990-1991 season this first year program ranked 62nd of all television programs. In addition to its poor performance, NBC lost revenue from countless sponsors pulling their advertisements because of the controversial nature of t...e subject matter. (AIDS, abortion…) The pilot, filmed in 16mm for a gritty documentary style, was deemed not up to broadcast standards. Today any one of these black marks would doom a fledgling program before even one season was finished. NBC showed rare patience and renewed Law and Order. Now there are 3 hours of Law and Order programming each week. It is the longest running drama currently on prime-time. Law and Order has captured one of the largest Emmy collections in TV history. Recently NBC renewed the show for an additional record 5 years.

Law & Order - The First Year dvd cover art

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Driving Miss Daisy

Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on January 27th, 2003

Synopsis

The Miss Daisy of the title is played by Jessica Tandy. After she wrecks her car, her son (Dan Aykroyd) hires a chauffeur (Morgan Freeman) for her. Miss Daisy is fiercely resistant to the supposed loss of independence this represents, but she eventually lets Freeman do his job. A strong friendship grradually develops between the two. In the background, we catch glimpses of the changing American South as the film moves from 1947 to 1972. Prejudice, both racial and anti-semitic, lurks just und...r the surface of the polite society the two characters move through.