Law & Order, Dick Wolf Slammed by John Oliver for Unrealistic Portrayal of Police

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John Oliver is not a fan of Dick Wolf or Law & Order.

The comedian hit out at the portrayal of law enforcement on the NBC franchise during Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight.

Oliver said that Wolf had a "close, behind-the-scenes relationship with the NYPD, employing officers as consultants and boasting about the access he had."

John Oliver Slams Law & Order

Oliver said that a prior interview with a writer on the mothership series in the Law & Order franchise previously said that had the police been portrayed in a more realistic manner, the NYPD would make it difficult to film in New York City.

Oliver said that police shows "significantly distort the big picture of policing."

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He said that these shows give a "false narrative" of cops, showing "exceptionally competent cops [are] working within a largely fair framework that mostly convicts white people."

"It’s presenting a world where the cops can always figure out who did it, defense attorneys are irritating obstacles to be overcome, and even if a cop roughs up a suspect, it’s all in pursuit of a just outcome,” Oliver said of Law & Order.

“And it blasts that fantasy at you in endless reruns and marathons in the guise of very well-produced, extremely entertaining TV."

"But underneath it all, it is a commercial — a commercial produced by a man who is, in his own words, unabashedly pro-law enforcement.”

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Oliver also touched upon an almost 20-year-old interview in which he said Law & Order is "the best recruiting poster that you could have for being a New York City cop."

“It’s completely fine to enjoy [Law & Order shows], and it’s completely understandable to want Olivia Benson to exist,” Oliver explained.

“But it’s important to remember just how far it is from representing anything resembling reality… [Wolf] is selling a complete fantasy that many people in this country are only too happy to buy — which is fine, as long as we don’t lose sight of the fact that it’s an ad for a defective product.”

The Law & Order franchise is still a solid option for NBC, with the network programming three shows set in that universe on Thursdays.

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Check out the entire segment below.

Hit the comments with your thoughts.

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.

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Law & Order Quotes

Bernard: We'd like to see the surveillance footage from last night, if that's possible.
Mrs. King: I'm afraid I haven't used them in years.
Donovan: Your husband is the most hated man in America and you don't even turn on the alarm?
Mrs. King: I'm from North Carolina. We don't even lock our front doors.

Every victim deserves our respect, even the ones that raped 40 women.

Bernard