Law & Order: Crime Scenes by Dick Wolf, Jessica Burstein (Photographer)

Synopsis

NBC's Emmy® Award-winning hit series Law & Order recently celebrated its 300th episode, earning the distinction of being television's longest-running drama. Now, for the first time, producer Dick Wolf, in collaboration with series photographer Jessica Burstein, presents a visually powerful and very intimate look at the drama. Walking the thin line between reality and fantasy, Law & Order: Crime Scenes features gripping crime scene photographs (some of which might not be suitable for younger readers) from the show's most popular episodes. This unique volume, a can't-miss item for any fan, includes:

• More than 100 high-quality photographs in a stunning, rivet-bound hardcover flawlessly replicating an authentic police blotter-—an extraordinary gift for any Law & Order fanatic!
• Never-before-seen Law & Order crime scene photographs--so authentic that even actual NYPD officers mistook them for real
• Dick Wolf's personal descriptions of each of the show's main characters throughout the series, including his revelations about their little-seen personal lives
• "Anatomy of a Crime Scene," describing each step involved in creating those grab-you-by-the-throat sequences that open each episode
• Interviews with various cast and crew members explaining in detail how the show's crime scenes are developed
• A "Postmortem" by Jessica Burstein featuring thumbnails of the photographs, with notations on which episode each photograph is from and anecdotal information about the shoot and the actors

Publishers Weekly

Considering Law & Order's popularity over 88 million viewers watch it and its spinoffs and reruns each week the dearth of books about the show is fairly surprising. This literary tribute, divided neatly into three sections, is more than a fetishist's bedside companion. Wolf, the show's creator, offers a brisk introduction, setting the tone with some revealing background tidbits (e.g., Wolf and his colleagues chose a bifurcated format for the show so it could be syndicated as either a half-hour or full-hour show). "Anatomy of a Crime Scene," by far the most revealing section, takes a 2002 episode, "Oxymoron," and explains how it came together, bit by bit. Wolf gives everyone e.g., the police technical consultant, the executive producer, the actor playing a corpse (she was paid $161 for the day's work) a few crisp, concise paragraphs to explain their contributions. The "Scenes of the Crime" portion shares photos of the central crime scenes (taken by Burstein, the show's still photographer). While some of the images are too obviously composed, most are impossible to distinguish from real crime scene shots. The book's final section, "In the Criminal Justice System," which gives a loving overview of the show's major players (including Paul Sorvino, Angie Harmon and Jerry Orbach), is, while good enough, probably for serious fans only, as casual readers may not be as interested in learning, for example, why the character Detective Sergeant Phil Cerreta is a snappy dresser. Altogether, this is a simple, classy and authoritative gift book. B&w photos. (Nov. 3) Forecast: Given the large number of people who watch Law & Order, this volume should find a ready audience and will undoubtedly be a popular holiday present. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Biography

Dick Wolf, one of television's most respected drama series creator/producers, is the architect of one of the most successful franchises in the history of television -- Law & Order. Wolf serves as creator and executive producer of three Law & Order-branded drama series from Wolf Films and Universal Television, and he is currently producing the new version of the classic television series Dragnet. Wolf's company also produced Twin Towers, the 2003 Academy Award®-winning Short Documentary about September 11.

Jessica Burstein's work has appeared in countless publications worldwide and in numerous private and corporate collections, including those of Philip Morris, Chase Manhattan, and AOL Time Warner. In 2000, Burstein co-authored, with her sister Patricia, The Grandmother Book. She has been the official photographer for Law & Order and its spin-off shows since 1994.