Law & Order : Special Victim's Unit - Season 7 - Theme Song
1,425,269
Published 2009-06-16
Technical information
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has been shot on film in the 16:9 aspect ratio since at least 2003 (the year first-run episodes also began airing in HDTV). Since 2006, all new episodes of the multiple Law & Order series have aired in 16:9. Recently USA Network began airing reruns going all the way back to "Payback" in wide-screen (16:9) format.
[edit] Title sequence
As with the original Law and Order series, the opening title card features a voiceover by Steven Zirnkilton:
In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.
SVU uses a re-mixed version of the theme music from its parent show Law & Order. The title theme for the UK terrestrial channel Five version is the instrumental version of the song "I'm Not Driving Anymore" from Rob Dougan's Furious Angels.[1]
Since the second season on, the franchise convention of the characters walking toward the camera at the end of the opening sequence was replaced by the cast gathered in front of a desk. This change was dictated by the large credited cast (nine members as of 2007).
The photo in the opening credits for Dann Florek (from the beginning of the show) and Ice-T (starting with the second episode of season two) has only changed once since they first appeared on the show. The photo for Mariska Hargitay has changed five times (Season one has one photo, seasons 2-4and the first four episodes of season 5 have another, the rest of season 5 has a third, seasons 6-8 have a fourth, and season 9 has a new picture). Christopher Meloni, Richard Belzer and B.D. Wong had new photos starting with the fifth episode of season five (coinciding with the debut of Diane Neal as Casey Novak). Neal had one photo for season five, a second for seasons six and seven, and a new photo for season eight and a new one for season nine. Tamara Tunie, who first appeared in the opening credits in season seven, has a new photo for season eight and yet another for season nine. The photos for each cast member were updated for season 9 to coincide with the addition of Adam Beach to the cast.
The current order of introduction in the opening credits is Meloni, Hargitay, Belzer, Ice-T, McManus, Wong, Tunie, and Florek. Meloni, Hargitay, and Belzer have always been the first three, with Florek last, much as the district attorney has always been last on the original series.
Prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks, the show's opening sequence featured two separate shots of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. After September 11, the show's opening sequence changed, with generic city shots replacing the World Trade Center. The original shots can be seen in syndicated episodes and the DVD collections of the first two seasons.
[edit] Broadcast history
The show originally aired on Monday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET for the first nine episodes, from September 20 through November 29, 1999. It was then shifted to Friday nights at 10 p.m. ET on January 7, 2000, and remained in that time slot through the end of Season 4 on May 16, 2003. SVU was placed in its current time slot for the Season 5 premiere on September 23, 2003 Tuesday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET and occasionally runs previous shows on Saturday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET. The USA Network also runs previous episodes on weekday afternoons, generally in a block from 3 to 5 p.m. ET.
The series will be vacating its Tuesday 10:00 p.m. ET slot in fall 2009 when NBC begins a primetime weeknight Jay Leno series, it will be placed on Wednesday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET.
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All Comments (21)
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Mariska has changed so much. Look at the old intros and the current intro. She has come such long way.
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out of all versions, this one is the most suspenseful
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i love this opening
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Nothing beats the Jerry Orbach days of the original show, but this is still good!
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"In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories."
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I loved Diane Neal on this show. It had such a perfect cast, i think that's part of why this one was so successful.
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re-watching this currently on Netflix from Episode 1 Season 1. Currently on Season 4. Ep. 13..started this a month ago...26 episodes per season 43 min. per episode.......I love this show to much!
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I freaking love this show❤❤❤
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Just the flute part of the theme song is my favorite part
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BEST. SHOW. EVER!
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Love this show! :D
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Ive been a fan since day one, I love LAW AND ORDER
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SVU is best Law and Order! Best charcters. best cases. best theme song.
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Even better with headphones on
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this song needs to be played in comedies more. like when i'm 50- somebody better play this on the holovision.
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i love svu! it rocks!
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Season 6 and 7 have my favorite casts for the show
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Love that show its a catchy song
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When I first heard the theme song and saw the opening credits...i thought i was watching a 1990's show...the way the title card looks and the b&w pictures...lol. Very good show
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Yeah! For Law & Order I love this show, I try not to miss any of the the episodes.
