I Watched Law And Order’s Pilot For The First Time For The Milestone 25th Season, And It’s Like A Totally Different Show

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The fall 2025 TV lineup marks a major moment for the *Law & Order* franchise. The original series will begin its 25th season on September 25th, shortly after the franchise celebrates its 35th anniversary. To mark this milestone, I decided to watch the very first episode, which aired in 1990, and compare it to how *Law & Order* looks on NBC today.

The first episode, titled “Prescription for Death,” originally aired on NBC on September 13, 1990. It began with a young woman’s death in the emergency room, leading her father to believe the doctors were responsible. Detectives Max Greevey and Mike Logan, working under Captain Don Cragen, initially investigated the case before handing it over to Executive Assistant District Attorney Ben Stone, Assistant District Attorney Paul Robinette, and District Attorney Adam Schiff.

Why I Decided To Watch Law & Order’s Pilot

I’ve been watching the revived *Law & Order* since 2022, but before that, the only original pilot I’d seen was for *SVU* (and *Organized Crime*). It’s a show famous for its iconic “DUN DUN” sound and the fictional, perpetually dangerous Hudson University. I recently went back to watch the very first episode, which originally aired in September 1990, using my Hulu subscription. It’s rare for a show to last 25 seasons, and I was surprised by how different it felt compared to the current version of *Law & Order*.

Why It Felt So Different

I’ll be honest, there were a few things that reminded me of the *Law & Order* I’ve watched over the years – things like the famous “DUN DUN” sound, the New York City filming locations, and seeing Dann Florek as Captain Cragen again. But that’s pretty much all I recognized!

I recognized Chris Noth from shows like *Sex and the City* and *The Equalizer*, but my only connection to his character, EADA Ben Stone, was remembering Philip Winchester playing his son, Peter Stone, on *SVU*. I hadn’t seen George Dzundza as Detective Matt Greevey before, and his big part in the first episode made it feel very different from the rest of the series.

Straight Out Of The ‘90s

The episode’s beginning reminded me of a scene from *ER*, even though that show hadn’t premiered yet when *Law & Order* first aired. Maybe I was just thinking about *ER* because of the episode’s ’90s setting – and the fact that Maura Tierney, who currently stars in *Law & Order*, was on my mind. I really enjoyed the show’s attention to detail from that era, like the use of correction fluid and the long opening credits, which were common for TV shows back then.

Some Future TV Stars Had Minor Roles

Watching older episodes of *SVU* reminded me of spotting familiar faces who later became famous. For example, John Spencer, who we’d later know as Leo McGarry from *The West Wing*, played a grieving father in the very first *Law & Order* episode. And Rocky Carroll, who became a star on *NCIS*, appeared as a doctor – he looked so young I had to check if it was really him!

The Pilot Aged Pretty Well

Even though the original *Law & Order* shows its age with things like the technology and fashion, the stories themselves actually hold up better than the first episode of *SVU*. I don’t expect a new episode of *Law & Order* to use the same ideas from its 1990 debut, but the core storylines still feel relevant and interesting today.

This episode almost made me want to watch *Law & Order* when it first aired – if I’d been old enough to watch shows like that back in 1990! If you’re interested in seeing the very first episode, it’s currently streaming on Hulu. Later seasons are available on Peacock. And the 25th season of *Law & Order* starts on Thursday, September 25th, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

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2025-09-25 13:08