Despite being one of the longest running shows on television, Law & Order SVU is taking a huge risk by mixing up their winning formula. No longer will the show look at three minority suspects before finding upper class white people guilty, as producers aim to make the show reflect actual crime in New York.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said show producer Dick Wolf. “It wasn’t just one thing that led to the change, although being nominated in the category of fantasy certainly was a wake up call to our writing team to start making the show more realistic.”
In a town where 40% of crime is committed by African Americans, and 36% is committed by Hispanics (note: which adds up to 76% of crime not being committed by wealthy white barristers SVU writing team), cynics have long pointed out that the show is out of touch with reality.
“It’s a fair comment,” said Dick. “I look back on some seasons and think maybe we did get a little carried away.”
Considering the average episode narrative involves a sexual assault where the first three suspects are an African American in a gang called ‘The Rapey Rapes’, a Hispanic from another gang called the ‘The Rapping Rapers’, and a Puerto Rican from the gang the ‘Rapiest Rapers whoever Raped’, before the twist at the end is that the wealthy father of a white private school boy is actually guilty, carried away is an understatement. One thing is for sure, change won’t come easy to the show.
“We’re going to start slow. I think next season any minority we do convict will be the assistant of the wealthy white barrister, that way we can implicate them too.”
For a show about investigating facts, it sounds like another fantasy award is in the post.
