The sound originated as a scene transition sting in Law & Order, the American police and courtroom drama created by Dick Wolf that premiered on NBC in 1990. Composer Mike Post designed the brief hit to evoke a jail door slamming and a judge's gavel, and it was used throughout the long running franchise to mark changes in location and time. As clips moved to YouTube, TikTok and soundboards, viewers began isolating the two beats and reusing them far beyond the show as a universal cue for drama.