Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order is one of America's favorite franchises. This police procedural has spawned numerous spin-offs, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Each version of Law & Order focuses on different detectives. The detectives' personal lives and reactions to cases are as compelling as the crimes themselves. SVU focuses on Detectives Stabler and Benson. Like the other Law & Order shows, SVU frequently bases episodes on real-life crimes that are in the news.

Detective Elliot Stabler was one of the most popular characters on the show. A married man with several children of his own, he occasionally took cases personally, displaying a violent temper. Detective Stabler struggles to deal professional with the criminals he encounters. He admits to fantasizing about hurting the people he arrests and is almost removed from the force when he reveals this. His experience raising his own children has made him good at relating to child victims he encounters while working cases. Despite his bad temper and occasional poor judgment, many viewers can relate to Detective Stabler and his disgust at the criminals he arrests and interviews.

Detective Olivia Benson is Detective Stabler's partner for most of the show. She balances his anger towards criminals with her own compassion for sexual victims. Detective Benson eventually reveals that her childhood was not happy due to an alcoholic mother and an absent father. Benson's tragic past led her to work for the Special Victims Unit. Many female viewers see Detective Benson as a positive role model.

Other detectives and support staff feature heavily in the series. Like other Law & Order shows, the detectives have close relationships with the NYPD's medical examiner and the New York District Attorney's office. Viewers love watching the characters grow over the course of the show, but the ultimate draw of Law & Order is seeing each week's criminal caught and brought to justice. SVU adds something extra to the formula by showcasing "especially heinous" crimes in every episode.