Law & Order: Criminal Intent: The Eighth Year

Seemingly basing their productions upon the mantra of "if it isn't broke, don't fix it," the Law & Order franchise continues to churn out episodes with conveyor belt reliability. Much like its competition on other networks, such as NCIS and CSI, they continue to appeal to the senior demographic with episodes that follow a simple, non-threatening template. Every episode is much the same, with interchangeable subjects like rape, murder and embezzlement, making it seem as though the writers use the same script every time, substituting key words and case points to make it appear as though they've produced something new and fresh. Season eight of Law & Order: Criminal Intent sees the addition of Jeff Goldblum to the cast, as his predecessor, Chris Noth, left at the end of the previous season. Goldblum brings his typical Goldblum-iness to the show, with his quirk and smug charm, appealing specifically to the target blue-haired demographic, while also breathing a bit of fresh oxygen into the program, but not too much, ensuring loyal fans won't consider changing the channel. Featuring episodes that deal with budding rock stars that kill, a drug dealer that gets involved with a politician's stepdaughter and one that tackles the game of poker, the detectives are forced to confront some tried, tested and true themes that are standard for the series. It's interesting to note that the episode entitled "The Glory That Was" isn't included in the DVD collection due to "content issues," obviously because to the backlash the show received from Brazil, as it was essentially a middle finger directed at the Rio de Janeiro bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Fortunately for fans, the other 15 "suspense-packed" episodes made the cut and are available in their crime-fighting splendour to enjoy.