The longevity and success of "Law & Order" has spawned five American television series (', ', ', ', and "Law & Order True Crime"), as well as a television film (""), all of which use the name "Law & Order". Although there were fears initially that the failure of such shows could hurt the original series, it was felt the brand name was needed because of the commercial desirability such a brand name creates. To differentiate it from other series in the franchise, "Law & Order" is often referred to as "The Mother Ship" by producers and critics.