LOS ANGELES -- A physician explains the intricacies of embryonic stem cells, describing them as "the Holy Grail" of medical research for their potential in treating disease.

The mother of a comatose patient, impregnated so the doctor can gain fetal cells despite federal restrictions, accuses him of using her daughter as a "human petri dish."

A third person weighs in, a Parkinson's sufferer who funded the clandestine project. Out of the girl's tragic end, he pleads, "could come a gift of life for many, many others."

The people are fictional and so are the events. But the moral dilemma is unnervingly real in this week's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (10 p.m. EST Friday, NBC).

The episode represents a shift in fact-based TV dramas. An established part of television, they are taking on increasingly complex social issues in a daring but intelligent and comprehensive way.

"I think viewers like stories that entertain them, educate them and allow them to put themselves into situations and ask 'What would I do?' -- without feeling they're being talked down to or 'educated,'" said Neal Baer, executive producer of "Special Victims Unit."

A practicing pediatrician who honed his TV skills on "ER," Dr. Baer felt a particular urgency when it came to the issue of stem-cell research as well as the lack of sanctions against the taking of human eggs.

Tackling issues

"I believe there's a widening gap between what the public knows and understands about medical research and technology, and I wanted to bring those issues to the table so people could discuss it," he said.

The hour is both affecting and illuminating, with a touching performance by JoBeth Williams as the anguished mother and astounding work by Philip Bosco as the contorted, trembling Parkinson's patient.

Popular culture expert Robert Thompson calls the approach "headline drama," a genre embraced by audiences. The three editions of "Law & Order," along with "The West Wing" and "ER" are among the 20 top-ranked programs.

The trend will only increase because the news channels fueling it show no sign of altering their format, he said. Certainly, the source for stories will not run dry, said Baer, citing the words of "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf.

"As Dick says, the human condition in all of its variations and perversities will keep us going forever."