Law and Order is an American police procedural and legal drama created by Dick Wolf that premiered on NBC in 1990 and ran for decades, spawning a large franchise. Its short two-note transition sound, often imitated as dun dun, became one of television's most recognisable audio signatures, marking a shift in time or location between scenes. As clips and parodies spread online, the sting moved beyond the show itself and became internet shorthand for a dramatic reveal, a legal twist, or a moment of mock seriousness, which keeps it in regular use in memes and edited videos today.