Since late 1990, millions of Americans have tuned in weekly for the new episode of Law and Order. So much in so that it once held the record for the longest run on NBC with 20 years prime time. Although, the show is not on prime time, one can watch repeats on several television channels. A television show based on police and court room personal work, when a viewer could watch the entire process from the moment the crime was committed to the defendant sentencing hearing. The show gained so much success that an additional show was created titled Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU). Law and Order SVU have been known for taking actual news stories, and combining falsities on the real-life situations. Although, most of the plot is fictional, many viewers are on aware, and unable to gage what is made of fiction and what is reality. This combination introduces issues facing the community, while creating drama and entertainment.
Several scholars and rape advocates have argued that the show exploits and makes a speculation of serious crimes such as rape and sexual assaults for ratings. However, many studies have concluded that shows such as The Law & Order franchise as an education source for many viewers on topics such as rape. In fact, a study conducted at Washington
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Stating that the focus that Law and Order place on its episode, the public appears to take interest. Thus, when Law and Order, begun broadcasting episodes focused on the punitive parts of law such as the death penalty, three strike laws victim 's rights, and safe streets policies, the public became more concerned about crime and criminals. This helps to conclude that the public’s fundamental views, towards the criminal justice system. Although, Law and Order, included courtroom behavior and procedures, research shows that audiences usually do not learn specific legal rules from television, but mainly focus on the story