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Law & Order Special Victims Unit - The First Year
Actor: Law & Order-Special Victims Unit
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Retail Price (not our price): $59.98
Release Date: 2003-10-21
Theatrical Release Date: 1999-09-20
Studio: Universal Studios
Run Time: 1043 minutes
Format: Array
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Discs: 6


Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):

1) Amazon.com
Originally called Sex Crimes, executive producer Dick Wolf wisely opted for something less lurid when the second in the inexhaustible Law & Order franchise hit the air in 1999. Still, as the opening voiceover makes clear, the "sexually based offenses" investigated by New York's Special Victims Unit can be "especially heinous." This six-DVD boxed set includes all 22 episodes of the first compelling season. Wolf penned series premier "Payback," which sets the scene, but not the tone. It's a lively, if uneasy mix between horror (rape) and comedy (risqué banter). As the show progressed, humor would be written out altogether (leaving Richard Belzer's Homicide-derived John Munch with increasingly less to do). Less emphasis would also be placed on the home lives of this "elite squad of dedicated detectives." Mostly, "Payback" introduces us to the unit, centering around partners Olivia Benton (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). For two people with so little in common, they make a terrific team--arguably one of TV's best. Stabler is married with four children; Benton is single and her closest relationship is with her mother (Elizabeth Ashley). While Stabler can get a little rough with suspects, Benton tends to over-empathize with the victims. They report to the no-nonsense Captain Cragen (Law & Order vet Dann Florek). Like the parent program's Lenny Briscoe, he's a recovering alcoholic. Dean Winters and Michelle Hurd round out the rock-solid cast. As it would continue to do in successive years, SVU's first season proved that network TV could explore sex crimes without being salacious or exploitative. "Uncivilized," for instance, concerns a child murder that is automatically pinned on a local sex offender, when the actual perpetrator isn't quite so obvious. "Disrobed," in which Brian Cassidy (Winters) leaves the department and Benson (with whom he had a brief affair) shoots a suspect is another standout in a strong year. SVU was followed by Criminal Intent in 2001 and features several guest appearances from Jerry Orbach (Briscoe) and Angie Harmon (Abbie Carmichael) from the original Law & Order. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

2) Description
From the popular and award-winning Law & Order franchise comes Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit. This hard-hitting and emotional series chronicles the exciting cases of the NYPD's Special Victims Unit as they try to crack the city's most heinous crimes. With a celebrated cast that includes Christopher Meloni (Twelve Monkeys, TV's Oz), Mariska Hargitay (Lake Placid, TV's ER), Dann Florek (Beautiful Joe, The Flintstones), Richard Belzer (Jump, TV's Homicide: Life on the Street), Dean Winters (TV's Oz), and Michelle Hurd (Random Hearts), and featuring such notable guest stars as Angie Harmon (TV's Law & Order), Jerry Orbach (TV's Law & Order), Andrew McCarthy (St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink), Bebe Neuwirth (TV's Frasier, Cheers) and Camryn Manhein (TV's The Practice), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - The First Year is a must-have DVD collection.

Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5

1) REVIEW OF LAW AND ORDER SVU   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
We are huge fans of L&O SVU at our house. This is a "must have" for those who try never to miss a weekly episode! Great buy and one you'll want to add to your DVD library....

2) Law and Order SVU Season 1   [Rating: 3 out of 5]
This Series has many pluses and minuses.First of all the minuses. The writers of this series have a PC preachy world view. ALL of the bad guys are white males. If a victim's family happens to be conservative or traditional, they are presented as partly at fault for the victim's demise. One episode was contrived (to reveal it would be a semi spoiler). A foot patrol cop was invited to a party of glitterati and he brought his camcorder, how convenient! Even the illegal immigrants are white East Europeans. In NYC are there not even cases that only involve people of color?However, just like Liberals who watch 24 for its virtues; L&O SVU has its strong points. Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni do well as Benson and Stabler. You believe that a single career woman and a father of four can work well together without asking how. There is also the crime solving mystery elements in the episodes.The PC detracts but it is enjoyable.

3) Best of all the L&O   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
I love this show. I can't wait for the rest of the seasons to come out. Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni have great chemistry. I would watch this show off and on, but when I got the first season on DVD I couldn't stop watching and then I got the second, third and fifth. I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning one night to finish it. What happend to Season 4? Why did they put out season 5 before 4? Anyway, this is such a great show. It gets more and more interesting.

4) Riveting and compelling   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
I have found that all the law and order series are brilliantly conceived shows that have established themselves as mainstays of television viewing. I am collecting all the dvd's that have been released so far, but am frustrated that they allow so long to elapse between releases.We watch at least 3-4 episodes of the different series daily, and need more so that we can keep up. Foxtel caters to our addiction well, but never well enough.

5) La mejor serie policíaca   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
Espero que pronto salga a la venta en nuestro país, donde se emite a altas horas de la madrugada. A pesar de ello, creo que es la mejor de todas las series que se emiten hoy en día. Sin recibir una promoción desmesurada, como otras tantas, para mí se ha convertido en una serie de culto por su formato clásico y extraordinaria calidad.Gracias a sus productores, realizadores, guionistas y al estupendo reparto.¡Seguid así por mucho tiempo!