'Law & Order' and 'SVU' Fates Revealed at NBC

Season 25 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was a celebratory moment for the longstanding franchise. And on the heels of a successful season, the show has been renewed. Its predecessor, Law & Order, has also been renewed. Law & Order: Organized Crime, which stars Christopher Meloni, is currently in limbo, as reported by Deadline. Law & Order will be returning for Season 24, while SVU will be back for Season 26. Organized Crime is currently in its fourth season. The renewals come as NBC also renewed its Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D.

As for why the Meloni-led series is still being discussed for renewal, there are several reported reasons. The show has been the lowest-rated of Dick Wolf's NBC shows. There have also been issues with showrunners. Matt Olmstead was the series' initial showrunner until he was replaced by Ilene Chaiken, who was then replaced by Barry O'Brien. In Season 3, Bryan Goluboff was named showrunner but quit after three months and was replaced by Sean Jablonski. Jablonski's stint was also brief, leaving due to "creative differences" and was replaced by David Graziano. John Shiban is the current season's showrunner.

After a surprise decision to remove Kelli Giddish from SVU in 2022, Deadline announced she'd be returning to the franchise as Amanda Rollins. Her return has been hinted at previously. In a December 2022 interview with ET Canada, she told fans, "Well, right now, I'm basking in the glow of a happy ending, you know, but the door is always open." She added: "['Law & Order'] creator Dick Wolf has created a world in which characters can kind of come and go. And I don't think the audience would be sad to see a little more of it." Before her hiatus, she was a staple on the show for 12 years.