2001 Newsgroup Post

....interesting tidbit....posted by prolific L&O writer and CI showrunner Rene Balcer to a newsgroup in 2001


From: Rcbalcer (email deleted)
Subject: Re: Criminal Intent
Newsgroups: alt.tv.law-and-order
View complete thread (7 articles)
Date: 2001-05-15 09:58:58 PST

Re: criminal intent

The show begins from the point of view of one of the major participants in the crime -- either the criminal, the victim, a major witness -- culminating on some weeks with the commission of the crime, or stopping just short of it or ending with the discovery of the body. Depending on the week, and the story, the audience will have most of the facts or only tantalizing tidbits.

Once the crime has been committed, we bring in our investigators Det. Goren (Vincent D'Onofiro) and Det. Eames (Kathryn Erbe), both of the Major Case Squad of the NYPD, led by Capt. Deakins (Jamie Sheridan). The Major Case Squad is an actual elite group of investigators known in the NYPD as "The Chief of Detectives' Detectives". In other words, they're the cream of the crop, standing head and shoulders above ALL other homicide detectives. Most of the crimes they investigate are high-profile murders, kidnappings, etc. They have jurisdiction in all five boroughs of NYC and can take over any case from ANYbody (yes, even from Briscoe & Green). They are the top dogs in the NYPD.

As Goren and Eames conduct their investigation, we'll be cutting back occasionally to the criminal(s) as they try to stay one step ahead of the law, outwit the cops, keep themselves from being betrayed by their accomplices, huddle with their lawyers, etc.

For those of you who might've felt short-changed by the cop part of L & O in the past year will enjoy Criminal Intent's full-out investigation. Goren and Eames' specialty are cases that cannot be broken by conventional police procedure, cases that require a specialized knowledge of the criminal mind. Some cases are resolved through tour-de-force interrogations, others through psychological manipulation, others through deceit.

At some point, a judicial element is introduced through the character of ADA Carver (Courtney Vance). Very occasionally, we might go to court for a scene or two, but the courtroom isn't where the game will be played for the most part.

As for the story-lines, well, sorry but you''l have to wait Thirteen are in the can. Personally, I've very excited by this series I co-created with Dick Wolf. The stories are spell-binding -- in turn tragic, exciting, funny and all of them compelling -- those of you who love the crime genre, the film noir, the thriller, should find this series very satisfying (as you can tell, I'm not being terribly modest here, but I really think this show is going to work like gang-busters, but of course you, the fans, are the ultimate judges). The cast is superb, and I think many of you will find the character played by Vincent D'Onofrio memorable, a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, surprising, engaging, perceptive, sexy, electric, passionate.

It's on Sunday at 9 pm on NBC starting in the fall. Though it's in the L & O family, it's still quite different from either of its siblings. I hope we're giving you a show you'll enjoy and grow to love as much as you do L & O. So far, we've enjoyed making it, which is a good sign. In any event, I'm looking forward to your feedback.

Stay tuned.

RB