JoeB131 I watched an episode of this, before realizing that it was just a rehash of a Chris Noth/George Dzunda episode from Season 1. (I think. My memory doesn't go back that far.) Anyway, plot was familiar. Greedy developer tries to drive tenants out of rent controlled complex, baby dies... wash, rinse, repeat.So take the same scripts, put a little local color English dialog in there, and hope no one notices you've just repackaged something? Really? Really? Oh, the series has the hot black girl from Doctor Who, hoping to become a serious actress, I guess.I guess rewriting it from American to British English is a challenge. "Okay, it's not an 'elevator' it's a 'lift'!" But there's nothing new here, and these British actors don't have the charm L&O classic had.

rustytclwn I was so excited to watch this new version of "Law & Order" as I am a fan of all spin-offs of the original. It has a great cast and lots of potential. Imagine my disappointment as I was watching it to realize that it is taken almost word for word from the original show.This show was titled "Care" but it is actually from Season 2, Episode 18 of the original "Law & Order" titled "Cradle to Grave"! I have heard people complain the the shows are always "ripped from the headlines" and I don't understand their complaint. But this episode was "ripped off another episode"! This is inexcusable and hugely disappointing. I sat there telling my husband what was going to happen next and there was not one surprise! Boo to the creators and writers of "Law & Order: UK" for not having anything to offer but a rehash of the original show!

ianlouisiana Let me from the start declare the breadth of my ignorance of U.S. cop shows.I have never seen the original "Law and Order" nor any of the "CSI" or "NCIS" series nor any combination thereof. I came to "Law and Order - U.K."with no preconceived ideas,no knowledge of the format therefore nothing to compare it with. The first thing that struck me was the ludicrous juxtaposition of the separate functions of the police and the C.P.S. In England the police are not the lackeys of the Proecutors,they do the investigating,compile the evidence,submit it to the C.P.S. in a so - called "Soup Report".The function of the C.P.S. at this stage is to decide whether there is a realistic chance of getting a conviction i.e. a 75% or more likelihood of convincing a jury of the accused's guilt. If this criterion is met a prosecution may go ahead presuming it is in the Public Interest to do so. The C.P.S. do not investigate - they prosecute.They rarely consult officers of such low rank as D.S.Brooks.Rarely see victims or their relatives,grieving or otherwise.Never plot revenge if a villain gets a "Not Guilty". The real life consequences of such a verdict are diametrically opposite to the ones in "Law and Order - U.K." The Prosecutors are philosophical and blase - it is the police who get outraged.And who can blame them if all their hard work for months has counted for nothing;the painstaking gathering of evidence,the coaxing of witnesses,the arrogance of the "No Comment" interview,the distress of the victims,they see all of this made worthless by some obscure technical point of law or the machinations of a weasel lawyer and they are mightily annoyed. That D.S.Brooks should smile and shrug it off is quite unthinkable. I knew a D.S. of about his age who would throw his papers on the desk in disgust and stomp out of the court whenever he lost a case.That's how much it should mean.Brooks should offer more than a wink and a smile and a "That's life",he really should.He and his oppo seem do to a lot of walking too,don't the C.I.D. run to motors nowadays?I suppose it's an excuse to show the scuzzier side of Sarff London,but I bet he still claims his Car Allowance..... Despite all this,"Law and Order - U.K." is compulsive viewing.Two reasons.First the inspired casting of Mr Bradley Walsh and Mr Bill Paterson,the only believable characters in the show.They act their respective juniors off the screen with absolutely no effort.And secondly the care with which the minor parts are cast.Too often these are the province of "resting" soap veterans,but L & O has a habit of using new faces that is very refreshing. It's entertaining if you don't know how the system really works,annoying if you do,but Messrs Walsh and Paterson are worth an hour of anybody's time.

MB I have been a long time fan of Law and Order (USA) and also a fan of Law and Order CI - but not a fan, however, for the past few years of L and O's SVU which has gone completely haywire in my opinion - trying to outmatch CSI's graphic special effects and violence – and just not working. The regular L and O was getting a bit dull, but seems to have had a kind of rebirth with some new actors the past few seasons, but even so, it's pretty tired, I think. I found Law and Order UK a refreshing change -- equal to (maybe even better than?) and yet different enough from the regular L and O to make it really compelling. Law and order (USA) has always made the justice system its main target and the various story lines wind through their way through the US legal system showing its strengths and weaknesses. The legal system in Britain is very different from the US system, of course, which makes it even more interesting. Like New York, London makes a great backdrop for the series. All actors are strong except for Freema Agyman. I have never found her to be a particularly strong actress. I wish they had chosen someone with a sharper edge - someone "real" and less like an actress simply playing a bleeding-heart role. Agyman plays it way too soppy and wide-eyed -- which makes her very annoying. Bradley Walsh plays Ronnie Brooks perfectly, (right now Bradley IS the show) and who can complain when the amazing Harriet Walter (I wish she was in it more!) and Bill Paterson (ditto) show up on a great show like this? Ben Daniels is also very good as Senior Crown Attorney, James Steel. I loved the two episodes I've seen so far. Top notch!