Mkay. Have to weigh in here:
I like L&O: CI because I like both D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe who is such a smart ass. I don't watch the original, only b/c I don't have cable and it's not on Netflix, otherwise I would. I liked it when Noth came on, even though I think i was in the minority there - he's just such a shit disturber, he makes me laugh no matter what dumb lines he's spewing or what dumb shit he's playing in.
I like L&O SVU (even though it's a bit cartoonish) for a few reasons: Meloni, who is an animal, and also I've seen his business when he was in Oz. (I'm simple, what can I say), and Hargitay, who I have a crush on (also her ridiculous mother) , and (god help me) Ice T, who has never been very interesting before either in rap (his songs are downright dumb) or as an actor. For some reason, I like him in this ensemble. I also like the woman who plays the uptight DA chick, the one married to Bobby Flay? That one. Oh, and also Angie Harmon, or is she in the main L&O?
Come to think of it there are a whole lot of lesbian undertones in SVU, aren't there. Hm.