Everybody's Favorite Bagman

"Everybody's Favorite Bagman" is the sixth episode of NBC's legal drama Law & Order. It originally aired on 30 October 1990.

Cast

Police

Dann Florek Capt. Don Cragen
George Dzundza Sgt. Max Greevey
Chris Noth Det. Mike Logan

District Attorney's Office

Roy Thinnes Alfred Wentworth
Michael Moriarty Ben Stone
Richard Brooks Paul Robinette

Plot

When a city councilman is robbed and assaulted, the investigation ties the victim to organized crime. Logan, Greevey, and an undercover narcotics officer trace the crime to mob figure Tony Scalisi. Stone and Robinette cut a deal with Scalisi to uncover a larger scandal.

Trivia

*Roy Thinnes was given special billing in this episode. His character (DA Alfred Wentworth) was originally written to be part of the cast in the pilot episode, but didn't continue on when the series was picked up by NBC and was replaced by Steven Hill's character, DA Adam Schiff.

*Everybody's Favorite Bagman was originally written as the pilot episode of the series and was produced in 1988. The series was initially picked up by FOX, which ordered 13 episodes. They passed the series on to CBS. CBS then turned it down and finally it was picked up by NBC. NBC made the decision to run it later in the first season and to use Prescription for Death as the 'pilot' episode. In syndication and on the DVD the episode appears in the order it was originally aired in the season (as the 6th episode).

*Steven Zirnkilton, best known as the opening credits narrator for all L&O series, makes his sole onscreen appearance in this episode. He is one of the NYPD technicians conducting covert surveillance of a restaurant where corrupt politicians are dining. He has one line of dialogue: "Look at that. Do you believe these guys?"