He might be a bit biased, since the series, "Crime & Punishment," is one he produces. But the "Law & Order" creator notes that unlike most unscripted fare on TV, nothing in the courtroom documentary is contrived.

"It's the only show where nothing is reshot, nothing is staged, there are no re-enactments, no voice-over," Wolf says. "What we show is reality."

The goal of the series is to show how prosecutors do their job and how they try to bring justice to crime victims, Guttentag says. For audiences to tune in, however, those stories have to be compelling television.

"We have what we think is a rather high bar, and that bar is set by 'Law & Order,'" Guttentag says. "We work exceedingly hard and shoot voluminous amounts of material, all in an effort to have a show we hope is as fine as 'Law & Order' and its sister shows."

To that end, the series followed close to 50 cases, shooting 290 feet of film for every foot used in the finish product (the ratio a typical "Law & Order" is more like 5 to 1).

"It's not a question of is it difficult to shoot; it's a question of the frustration of the legal system," Wolf says. "What happens is time and again you'll be following [a case] and a lot get pled out just before trial or two days into trial. And all of the sudden you've got no show, when this was a really promising case."

Each episode is structured as a fictional show might be in order to deliver an emotional impact. Guttentag says that when he's editing the show and finds himself swept up in what's on the screen, he knows he's on to something.