'Law & Order: SVU' Spinoff 'Hate Crimes' Delayed at NBC

NBC is delaying plans to launch Law & Order: Hate Crimes during this season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, despite giving the project a straight-to-series order last year.

Hate Crimes received a 13-episode straight-to-series order from NBC, which planned to air a pilot as a planted episode during SVU's landmark 20th season. However, that plan has been put on hold and it is no longer clear if the show can make it to the 2019-2020 TV season, reports The Hollywood Reporter. NBC still wants to move forward with Hate Crimes, and actors are receiving offers to join it.

The network did not comment on the situation, but executive producer Dick Wolf's busy plate might have something to do with Hate Crimes' delay. The prolific producer is working on ABC's New York Undercover follow-up and CBS' FBI spin-off, FBI: Most Wanted. Wolf is also co-writing both pilots, and the Most Wanted pilot is already cast and set to air during FBI's freshman season.

Wolf also remains executive producer on NBC's three Chicago shows — Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire and Chicago Med - and SVU, now in its record-tying 20th season. NBC has already renewed the Chicago shows for next season, and CBS picked up FBI for a second year.

Once SVU is renewed for a 21st season, it will break the record it tied with the original Law & Order and Gunsmoke as the longest-running primetime network dramas.

Hate Crimes got a straight-to-series order in September 2018 and was created by Wolf and former SVU showrunner Warren Light. Mariska Hargitay, who plays Lt. Olivia Benson on SVU, is one of the executive producers. Filming was supposed to start last month, but no actors have been cast.

Hate Crimes could become the seventh Law & Order series. The original ran 20 seasons from 1990 to 2010, and SVU has been on air since 1999. The other shows in the series are Criminal Intent (2001-2011), Trial By Jury (2005-2006), Law & Order: LA (2010-2011) and True Crimes (2017). Wolf also created a U.K. version that aired on ITV from 2009 to 2014.

Wolf could potentially have eight series across three different networks, if New York Undercover and FBI: Most Wanted get picked up by ABC and CBS, respectively.

The next new episode of Law & Order: SVU is "Missing," which debuts on Thursday, March 14. In the episode, the SVU team finds a child in an abandoned car's truck. The guest stars include Brian Sheppard, Violet McGraw, Amanda Leigh Cobb, Chloe Webb and Jim Schubin.

SVU airs on Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.

Photo credit: NBC