The first 4 season of the original series were very enjoyable; the characters had no life outside of the TV show, and the show seemed to point out the daily life as people lived it. Then season 5 came along and the wheels fell off the bus. It took me a few years, but I finally abandoned the show and really haven't watched since.
If I see L&O on the rerun cable channels, I will watch if it's season 1 to 4. Otherwise, I just move on.