‘Law & Order’ Steps Out of the Shadows : Television: Despite its popularity, the low-key series hasn’t grabbed the headlines. But now it faces ‘Northern Exposure.’ Will the audience stay?

There is finally justice for “Law & Order.”

It’s not like the NBC crime series has ever had any trouble arresting viewers or critics. “Law & Order” has consistently drawn high praise and significant ratings since its debut in 1990.

But the show has frequently been in the shadow of other crime dramas, seldom generating blaring headlines or magazine cover-grabbing controversies earned by that other New York police show “NYPD Blue,” or by “L.A. Law” or even the less popular “Homicide: Life on the Street.”

The crime-fighting force of “Law & Order” is quietly demonstrating this season, however, that it is indeed a force to be reckoned with--and without the notorious trappings of raw language, nudity, violence or an Academy Award-winning producer. In its fifth season, the drama is getting its best ratings ever, is up more than 10% in viewership and key demographics, and for the first time in its history ranks among the top 20 most popular shows.

Network executives and industry observers attribute the show’s increased popularity to a variety of factors: a furor last season when actor Michael Moriarty, who played Assistant Dist. Atty. Ben Stone, left the series in a dispute with executive producer Dick Wolf; the addition of Sam Waterston as a charismatic district attorney; story lines that appeal more to the female audience, and viewers who are checking out the drama for the first time after being intrigued by syndicated reruns on cable’s Arts & Entertainment channel.

Nor has it hurt being scheduled against two newsmagazines: ABC’s “Turning Point” and CBS’ “48 Hours,” leaving “Law & Order” as the only network entertainment series in the time slot. That situation will change in January, however, when CBS moves “Northern Exposure” over from Mondays.

“I certainly like being up against two newsmagazines better,” Wolf said. “I haven’t a clue on how this will affect us, but I don’t think our audiences overlap that much.”

Still, Wolf said “Law & Order” has triumphed not because of weak competition but because of its topical stories and ensemble cast. He said he is especially grateful to a loyal core of viewers who don’t mind that the drama stays focused on the case at hand and does not get involved in the personal lives of the characters.

“Television has a strange way of assuring that quality will out,” Wolf said recently at his Universal City office. “Everyone is really excited about the added attention we’re getting, but we’ve always felt that we were well thought of. Plus, in five seasons, our look has not changed and our style has not changed. Fans who tune us in know what they’re getting.”

Still, Jerry Orbach, who plays Detective Lennie Briscoe in the “Law” portion of the one-hour series, said he has often felt slighted because the series did not get as much attention as other crime dramas. He attributed it to the show’s “all work and very little play” approach.

“It was a little frustrating,” said Orbach. “The purity of the show is the way that it’s structured, that it’s so case-oriented. There’s very little about us as characters. We’re all proud of that, but sometimes I get jealous of other people getting to roll around--not that I want to show my ass, mind you.”

He quipped, “I mean, I like Dennis (Franz of “NYPD Blue”), but I really didn’t need to see his ass.”

Wolf now wishes the same fire that has caught “Law & Order” would catch his other police series, “New York Undercover,” which has been struggling in its freshman season on Fox. He said the show, which has a hip-hop motif and revolves around two young minority detectives, is among the most popular with teens and young adults.

“The show so far is a huge hit that nobody knows is a huge hit,” he said.

Still, he has faith that the series will eventually find its audience just as “Law & Order” has.

The format of “Law & Order” has remained the same throughout its five seasons--a “two-shows-in-one” formula, as Wolf calls it. In the first half hour, Briscoe and detective Mike Logan (Chris Noth) solve crimes and arrest suspects. In the second half, the case is turned over to “Order”--the district attorney’s office. Attorneys Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Claire Kincaid (Jill Hennessy) team up for the cases under the watchful supervision of their boss, Dist. Atty. Adam Schiff (Steven Hill).

Wolf said he has often grappled with network executives about changing that format, bringing more of the characters’ personal lives into the mix and perhaps following them home. But he has resisted.

“There’s always been a great deal of discussion about warming up the show,” he said. “But I’ve got to do this the way I think it will work. It’s about the work life. The play is the thing. Each half hour has the amount of story that is contained in an average hour. It’s a philosophical decision I made.”

Even so, NBC Entertainment President Warren Littlefield said he instructed Wolf to add more “female appeal” to the show this season.

“I asked him to have more stories that would be more inviting to women,” Littlefield said. “I said, ‘How can we take the stories on a very strong issue, and see how that reflects and touches our characters?’ We wanted to get a broader-based audience. I don’t think they’ve made any radical adjustments. It is a more personal show than it has been in the past, and we’re extremely happy with the path it’s taking.”

Littlefield and Wolf said much of the added appeal is due to Waterston, whose character has an undefined but possibly romantic relationship with Kincaid. But don’t hold your breath for the pair to have a steamy bedroom scene any time soon.

“I don’t think that’s what the viewers want,” Wolf said. “Subtext and imagination is always better than text. Attitudes and a glance and a tone of voice can speak volumes. They’ll be no concrete evidence, no underwear lying around the office. The day they showed Dave and Maddie in bed on ‘Moonlighting’ was the day it was over. The mystery was gone.”

* “Law & Order” airs at 10 p.m. Wednesdays on NBC (Channels 4, 36 and 39). “New York Undercover” airs at 9 p.m. Thursdays on Fox (Channels 11 and 6).