Season one of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, an American police procedural television series developed by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, began airing on September 30, 2001 on NBC, a national broadcast television network in the United States. Law & Order: Criminal Intent is the second spin-off of the long-running crime drama Law & Order, and follows the New York City Police Department's fictional Major Case Squad, which investigates high-profile murder cases. The first season comprises twenty-two episodes and concluded its initial airing on May 10, 2002. Four actors received star billing in the first season; Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Jamey Sheridan, and Courtney B. Vance. Episodes depict Detectives Robert Goren and Alexandra Eames as the squad's lead investigators. Captain James Deakins is the detectives' direct supervisor and head of the Major Case Squad. Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver often attempts to obtain confessions from the suspects, rather than taking them to trial. Law & Order: Criminal Intent focusses on the actions and motives of the criminals, and divides screen time equally between the suspects and victims, and the police's investigation. The season was filmed on location in New York City, although scenes set inside the Major Case Squad department were filmed in a studio at Chelsea Piers, Manhattan.