When did Law & Order jump the shark?

[LostInAnomie]

Poll question: When did Law & Order jump the shark?

It used to be my favorite show, but over the last few years it has been almost unwatchable. All the "ripped from the headlines" stories, and unremarkable cast members have really brought down the quality.

When do you think it jumped the shark?

[NJmaverick]

1. It seems its spin offs are doing better than the original

that finally seems to have lost it. Considering how often they changed cast members, you would have to think they were living on borrowed time.

[femmocrat]

2. Uh.... Jerry Orbach didn't just "leave".....

he died. That is when I stopped watching it.

Two worst DA's: Dianne Weist and (ugh) Fred Thompson.

[LostInAnomie]

3. He left before he died.

At least on the series. He had a role on one of the spin offs that got canceled after the first season.

[mainegreen]

4. Law & Order came out of the creative womb in mid shark jump.

Asking about Law & Order before the shark jump is like asking about the time before time began.

[Bryan]

5. Never jumped, and how dare you say so

The era from about 2001 to 2006 was pretty rote, but this past season was very good (variously putting the boot into Christian Dominionists, market-gaming energy companies, heavy-handed NYPD riot control, and Judith Miller) and the current cast is the best they've had since Steven Hill left.

[LostInAnomie]

6. It might be a good cast...

... but without Jack McCoy giving his closings, it's not Law & Order to me.

[NightWatcher]

7. when they started Law & Order: Parking Enforcement Division

[hedgehog]

9. Law and Order: Library Cops

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

8. Two Words: Fred Thompson

One Word: Sucks