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After John Oliver’s critical comments about theLaw & Orderfranchise, oneSVUstar openly admitted the ‘copaganda’ in the show. Dick Wolf’s franchise paints the police force as these highly competent cops who would do anything in their capacity to seek justice for their victims. While actress Diane Neal shared thatSVUis a spectacular show, she acknowledged that crime victims are often treated horribly.
Neal supported Oliver’s take on the show in one of the episodes of Last Week Tonight, sharing that Oliver brought attention to the reality. Oliver put the major blame on creator Dick Wolf, who wanted to portray a positive outlook for the cops and make the show a good recruiting tool for the NYPD.
Diane Neal Admitted ToLaw & Order: SVU‘s Propaganda After John Oliver’s Critical Remarks
Diane Neal played ADA Casey Novak onLaw & Order: SVUfrom seasons 5 to 9 before her character was censured. She returned for a few appearances in seasons 12 and 13. Having worked for a long time on a show that claims to seek justice for s*xual assault victims, Neal admitted that the reality can be far from what the show portrays.
“They’re going to come after me”: The ‘Law & Order’ Star Who Predicted His Own Casting After Trying for Years to Land the Show
Neal’s tweet response to John Oliver’sLast Week Tonightepisode onLaw & Ordercarried some critical reflections onDick Wolf‘s show. Neal agreed with Oliver’s criticism and admitted that the show often portrays the effective functioning of law enforcement when it rarely happens in real life.
She shared thatSVUis a“spectacular”show and tries to do its best to become an empathetic show. She even mentioned the hands-on advocacy for victims by actors like Mariska Hargitay and Stephanie March. She shared that people come to expect that the law should help and not hurt after watching shows likeSVU. However, she shared that many crime victims were treated awfully.
Neal expressed that she expected the new seasons ofLaw & Order: SVUshould focus on telling the truth. She shared that it was important for people to have realistic expectations of the system even as they work to improve it. Neal’s tweets read:
Real life is nuanced, and several things can be true at the same time.@LastWeekTonightand@iamjohnoliverbrought attention to what has been a reality for many victims, including ME-the chasm between how we BELIEVE#lawenforcementshould function, and how it often does not.
That does not conflict with#SVUbeing a spectacular TV show, a necessary outlet for many victims, and how hard it’s cast and crew work to change things for the better. (Seriously, just look@mariskaand her decades of hands-on advocacy! Same for@MarchStephanieand others.)
No one WANTS to be a victim. It’s thrust upon them. And what people come to expect from all their combined experiences-whether it’s real#LawEnforcementplastering “To Protect & Serve” on everything, to that of watching empathetic crime shows-it’s that law should help, not hurt.
THAT is what needs to change.#SVUtries. It always has,despite not being obligated to.And with pieces like the one on@LastWeekTonight, and so many people sharing their stories,the truth finally starts to come out about the real problem-many crime victims being treated awfully.
New#LawAndOrderSVU’s@DavidGrazianosaid season#SVU24is about healing trauma. He’s right, we all need healing. There is no guidebook to being a victim. So, part of that healing is telling the truth so others have realistic expectations of the system as we work to improve it.
Diane Neal, just like her character, presents a compelling case for changing the established formula of the series. But the makers continue to find it easier to sayLaw & Orderis a fantasy world and keep the ratings up with the fictional story of competent cops.John Oliveralso shared that the show is a commercial for police recruitment, before quipping that it is an ad for a defective product.
John Oliver Blamed Dick Wolf For Unrealistic Portrayal Of Cops
John Oliver claimed thatLaw & Ordercreator Dick Wolf was a huge fan of theDragnetfranchise, the 1960s police procedural crime drama. The host shared that Wolf had a“close, behind-the-scenes relationship”with the NYPD, adding that he used consultants from the force for his shows. He shared that this relationship“significantly distorts the big picture of police.”
“I don’t like not being listened to”: Mariska Hargitay Hated Dick Wolf Writing Off 1 ‘Law and Order: SVU’ Actor After Nearly Firing Her
Oliver pointed out one of the issues as the high crime-solving rate in the show, which was far from reality. Oliver shared on the show:
Obviously, Law & Order cannot reflect that reality. It would be unwatchable. Nobody wants to watch a show where 97 percent of episodes end with two lawyers striking a deal in a windowless room and then you get to watch the defendant serve six months and struggle to get a job at their local Jiffy Lube.
Oliver also noted how the series portrayed most of its defendants as“white, male, older and from the middle or upper classes.”He shared that Wolf didn’t want to portray the reality of the matter and didn’t show people of color being targeted. Oliver claimed that Wolf didn’t consider it as on-brand for the show. Oliver noted about the show’s format:
Instead of depicting a flawed system riddled with structural racism, the show presents exceptionally competent cops working within a largely fair framework that mostly convicts white people.
Oliver shared an old interview in which Wolf revealed that he wouldn’t do an episode about Abner Louima, the black man who fell victim to harassment at the hands of the NYPD. Wolf shared,“That’s a terrible thing that happened, but that represents one or two bad apples in a police force of 35,000 people.”Oliver slammed Wolffor pushing“a propagandized, hero-washed version of the truth.”
Law & Orderand its spin-offs are now available for streaming on Peacock.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3017
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
