You really can’t go wrong with any iteration of Law & Order.
This season saw the launch of a three-hour juggernaut with Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, and Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Now we can tell you whether that trifecta will continue into the 2022-2023 season.
Bust out the confetti because we’ve got good news.
Law & Order and Law & Order: Organized Crime have both been renewed for the upcoming season.
While Law & Order: SVU was last renewed for three seasons, by the end of the 2023 season, all three will need renewals to carry on the magic.
Lisa Katz, president of scripted programming at NBCUniversal Entertainment and Streaming, said, “The iconic Law & Order brand has long been synonymous with NBC, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring back all three of these dramas for the 2022-23 season.
“It’s a testament to the brilliance of Dick Wolf’s storytelling that audiences remain compelled by these unforgettable characters week after week, year after year.”
“Dreams do come true. The renewals of the entire Wednesday and Thursday night lineups is the ultimate verification of our partnership with NBC and Universal Television,” said producer Dick Wolf in a statement.
“I personally want to thank the talented writers and casts, the producers who keep the trains running on time, and the crews who tirelessly turn out outstanding shows despite a degree of difficulty never before experienced due to the pandemic.”
He should be pleased. With these renewals, the Chicago franchise renewals, and CBS’s recently renewed FBI franchise, another franchise triple threat on Wednesdays, it’s a very Dick Wolf world we live in these days.
Wolf was being modest in his statement, leaving CBS out of the equation. But with all three franchises, he reigns on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
This kind of domination seems unprecedented, especially on broadcast TV, but Wolf has a formula for success that is hard to beat.
Reviving Law & Order over two decades after it first aired is a success because it’s never been out of our cultural zeitgeist. Even if someone wasn’t born in 1990, when Law & Order premiered, they could catch returns of the entire series many times over.
Returning stars Sam Waterston and Anthony Anderson ensured a seamless transition, and new stars Jeffrey Donovan, Camryn Manheim, Hugh Dancy, and Odelya Halevi have the same industry heft as the original stars.
Since he departed Law & Order: SVU, fans had fantasized about Christopher Meloni returning.
Whether it was to reunite with Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson or just to find out what happened to him after the fact, offering him another, grittier show was always going to be a successful venture.
Law & Order: Organized Crime has less of a procedural bent than the others but still has the same vibe, although it acts as a more personal vehicle for Meloni.
While Hargitay and Meloni headline different shows, their crossovers have been successful endeavors that tease viewers of one or the other to tune in.
So, it’s official. Law & Order Season 22 and Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 3 will air during the 2022-23 season, with the longest-running Law & Order: SVU clocking in with Season 24.
What do you think? Are you excited about the renewals?
And would you like to see Wolf tackle another show ripe for a three-hour domination?
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.
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