MovieChat Forums > Law & Order (1990) Discussion > Despite the disclaimer, some were inspir...

Despite the disclaimer, some were inspired by actual cases

posted 8 years ago by Noirdame79
7 replies | jump to latest

Can you name some that come to your mind?

The one where Monica Keena plays a girl who is raped by two of her classmates (who also videotaped it and sold it as "proof" of their sexual encounters for their clique at school, they slept with girls for "points"), was very similar to story I read in a magazine a few years previously.

The child abuse/murder story where at the end, the producers claimed that it was not based on the Lisa Steinberg case, despite the similarities.

"The Serpent's Tooth" from Season 1. Much of the episode seems inspired by the Menendez brothers case (and the info that was available about it at the time). Two brothers emerge as the suspects of the murder of their successful parents, but later it was revealed that the Russian mafia was behind the murders. In the beginning of the actual case, the mob was suspected.

This particular episode is from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where twins discover that the girl twin was actually born male and some evil doctor recommended to the parents allow him to perform surgery and raise one of twins as a girl.

Any other contributions?

[–] Xeliou66 8 years ago

Most cases were inspired by real life stories, and most people know that. Only the law and order wikia.com, they have a complete list of cases that were ripped from the headlines.

[–] Homer_Simpson_is_a_Smart-Guy 8 years ago

http://lawandorder.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Law_%26_Order_Ripped_from_the_Headline_episodes

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

Thank you SO much for this link. I have been looking for something like this for years. I always wondered about the actual cases and what liberties were taken. It is interesting that not ALL episodes were based on actual cases and originated with obvious gossip. (Sonata For Solo Organ S1E21 comes to mind.)

[–] maryrosenkranz 8 years ago

I agree with Xeliou66 most if not all were "ripped from the headlines". They would start out how the real life stories were, then they would twist them once, twice, or more. That goes for SVU. I know people complain about that over there, but it always has been. Sometimes they end up twisting it so much, it can be hard to see the "real life story" in it.

[–] fiero-49251 8 years ago

Nothing new really! At times, it appears they get scripts written and the show taped and in the can within months of a crime! The one about the dogs attacking a woman in her building was out of SF when I lived out there! The families couldn't have been happy even though set in NY and the couple responsible tried and jailed for their irresponsibility! Trying to blame the woman due to her perfume was reprehensible! 

- - http://www.childrenofrassilon.com/fiero425.html - - homepage

[–] kenburke (2377) 7 years ago

I remember there was an episode about the wife of the governor of Connecticut being murdered. It was aired during the time the real life governor of Connecticut (John Rowland) was facing a criminal investigation (he eventually had to resign and was jailed. Twice.). Good news - he didn't kill his wife.

[–] kenburke (2377) 7 years ago

[deleted]