Steven Seagal: Lawman
Encyclopedia
Steven Seagal: Lawman is an American reality television
series on the A&E Network
which stars actor
and martial artist
Steven Seagal
performing his duties as a reserve deputy sheriff
in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
.
It premiered on December 2, 2009.
"I've been working as an officer in Jefferson Parish for two decades under most people's radar
", said Seagal in the premiere episode, "The Way of the Gun". "I've decided to work with A&E on this series now, because I believe it's important to show the nation all the positive work being accomplished here in Louisiana—to see the passion and commitment that comes from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in this post-Katrina environment."
Although he has full police and arrest
powers, Seagal's current rank of reserve deputy chief is largely ceremonial.
Frequently-featured fellow deputies include Col. John Fortunato, Capt. Alex Norman, and Sgts. Lawrence Matthews and Larry Dyess.
Critical reception to the series was mixed. Tim Goodman
of the San Francisco Chronicle
praised the show for being "compelling", and praised Steven Seagal for keeping his law enforcement career largely a secret "... even when his career could have used a boost". However, Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger
excoriated the series and its star: "... with his new reality show ... Seagal has cemented his position as an accidental comedy
savant. It's easily the funniest thing he's done since the climactic speech from On Deadly Ground
(his infamous directorial debut about evil oil
companies polluting
the Alaska
n wilderness), and one of the more entertaining additions to the Has-Beens On Parade reality sub-genre".
Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) commission. However, according to a Los Angeles Times
commentary critical of the claims, neither the California nor Louisiana POST organizations have records of Seagal's certification. But in the state of Louisiana, POST accreditation is not required for people holding certain positions in law enforcement if they are partnered with a POST-accredited officer.
filed against Steven Seagal on April 12, 2010 by his former personal assistant
, Kayden Nguyen. Nguyen claimed Seagal committed sexual harassment
, illegally trafficked
women for sex
, failed to prevent sexual harassment, retaliated against her, wrongly terminated her employment, and made false representations about her employment. Nguyen also alleges that she was also asked to join Seagal's harem
, which included two Russian women; Nguyen was to be a replacement. On April 13, 2010, Seagal's attorney Marty Singer, said that the lawsuit was "... a ridiculous and absurd claim by a disgruntled ex-employee who was fired." Nguyen sued for over one million dollars.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand announced he would not launch an investigation into Kayden Nguyen's accusations unless she filed a criminal complaint against him with the Jefferson Parish sheriff's department. However, no such complaint was ever filed. On July 15, 2010, Kayden Nguyen dropped her lawsuit. Six days later, it was announced on the A&E website's message board that new episodes of Steven Seagal: Lawman would begin airing in October 2010, but no specific date was given. All creditor claims against the second season should be filed by February 28, 2011.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series on the A&E Network
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
which stars actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and martial artist
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
performing his duties as a reserve deputy sheriff
Sheriffs in the United States
In the United States, a sheriff is a county official and is typically the top law enforcement officer of a county. Historically, the sheriff was also commander of the militia in that county. Distinctive to law enforcement in the United States, sheriffs are usually elected. The political election of...
in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States that includes most of the suburbs of New Orleans. The seat of parish government is Gretna....
.
It premiered on December 2, 2009.
"I've been working as an officer in Jefferson Parish for two decades under most people's radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
", said Seagal in the premiere episode, "The Way of the Gun". "I've decided to work with A&E on this series now, because I believe it's important to show the nation all the positive work being accomplished here in Louisiana—to see the passion and commitment that comes from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in this post-Katrina environment."
Although he has full police and arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
powers, Seagal's current rank of reserve deputy chief is largely ceremonial.
History
In the late 1980s, Jefferson Parish's longtime sheriff, Harry Lee, asked Seagal to train some of his deputies in the martial arts, unarmed combat, and marksmanship. The success of these classes led to Lee asking Seagal to join the department as a reserve deputy.Frequently-featured fellow deputies include Col. John Fortunato, Capt. Alex Norman, and Sgts. Lawrence Matthews and Larry Dyess.
Reception
The debut episode drew a network record 3.4 million viewers.Critical reception to the series was mixed. Tim Goodman
Tim Goodman
Tim Goodman was born in San Francisco in 1952 and briefly spent his high school years attending the American School in London. Upon returning to San Francisco, Goodman began touring and performing during the late 1970s, becoming a mainstay in the genres of Country, country rock and Bluegrass music...
of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
praised the show for being "compelling", and praised Steven Seagal for keeping his law enforcement career largely a secret "... even when his career could have used a boost". However, Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
excoriated the series and its star: "... with his new reality show ... Seagal has cemented his position as an accidental comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
savant. It's easily the funniest thing he's done since the climactic speech from On Deadly Ground
On Deadly Ground
On Deadly Ground is a 1994 environmental action-adventure film, co-produced, directed by and starring Steven Seagal, and co-starring in an all-star cast, Michael Caine, Joan Chen, John C. McGinley, R. Lee Ermey, Kenji Nakano, and Billy Bob Thornton in one of his early appearances. The film held a...
(his infamous directorial debut about evil oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
companies polluting
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
the Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
n wilderness), and one of the more entertaining additions to the Has-Beens On Parade reality sub-genre".
Questions over Seagal's law enforcement credentials
Steven Seagal claims to hold certification by the CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) commission. However, according to a Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
commentary critical of the claims, neither the California nor Louisiana POST organizations have records of Seagal's certification. But in the state of Louisiana, POST accreditation is not required for people holding certain positions in law enforcement if they are partnered with a POST-accredited officer.
Halting of second season production
On April 14, 2010, The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office announced that production of second season episodes had been halted due to a lawsuitCivil law (common law)
Civil law, as opposed to criminal law, is the branch of law dealing with disputes between individuals or organizations, in which compensation may be awarded to the victim...
filed against Steven Seagal on April 12, 2010 by his former personal assistant
Personal assistant
A personal assistant or personal aide is someone who assists in daily business or personal tasks. It is common in design to have a PDA, or personal design assistant....
, Kayden Nguyen. Nguyen claimed Seagal committed sexual harassment
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
, illegally trafficked
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
women for sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
, failed to prevent sexual harassment, retaliated against her, wrongly terminated her employment, and made false representations about her employment. Nguyen also alleges that she was also asked to join Seagal's harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
, which included two Russian women; Nguyen was to be a replacement. On April 13, 2010, Seagal's attorney Marty Singer, said that the lawsuit was "... a ridiculous and absurd claim by a disgruntled ex-employee who was fired." Nguyen sued for over one million dollars.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand announced he would not launch an investigation into Kayden Nguyen's accusations unless she filed a criminal complaint against him with the Jefferson Parish sheriff's department. However, no such complaint was ever filed. On July 15, 2010, Kayden Nguyen dropped her lawsuit. Six days later, it was announced on the A&E website's message board that new episodes of Steven Seagal: Lawman would begin airing in October 2010, but no specific date was given. All creditor claims against the second season should be filed by February 28, 2011.
Season 1 (2009–2010)
| № | # | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
Season 2 (2010)
| № | # | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|