Stories from the set

Detective Mike Logan's leather coat was not provided by the props department. Actor Chris Noth bought it himself at a second-hand store.

On some days Jill Hennessy could not take part in filming (for example, when courtroom scenes were shot), and her sister Jacqueline stood in for her.

Before becoming an actor, Dennis Farina, who plays Detective Joe Fontana, worked for 18 years in the Chicago police force. He was brought into film by his former partner Chuck Adamson, who retired and became a consultant on police procedures for film and television.

S. Epatha Merkerson wears a wig in the series. The actress decided that her own hairstyle did not suit the image of the ambitious officer Anita Van Buren well enough.

Vanessa Williams auditioned for the role of Deputy District Attorney Abbie Carmichael, but the role went to actress Angie Harmon because series creator Dick Wolf liked her Southern accent.