Captain Olivia Benson said it best: “You can’t change the past, but you can create a better future.” NBC’s juggernaut crime drama Law & Order is coming back in the fall for its 24th season. The show returns for its 21st season in 2022, after more than a decade off of television.
The network announced its decision to renew the original police and legal drama for another season late in March. It’s hard to believe but the show is still getting more new fans. According to NBC, the famous crime show is averaging 7.7 million more viewers than last season—a growth of 56%. The show also saw a 122% increase in viewers between the ages of 18 to 49.
Right Now, Jack McCoy is Not Coming Back
Season 22 was a roller coaster for fans of the show. Long-time District Attorney Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) retired in a powerful send-off in February. Tony Goldwyn will play the new District Attorney Nicholas Baxter next season.
NBC is saying the cast of the show will remain the same for the most part. Right now, Sam Waterston is not a part of the show; he left after this season. But fans would love it.
This drama may have started America’s obsession with ‘true crime’; its episodes often mirror cases in the news. NBC says that will still be true in the fall when it comes back on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. It’s become a television franchise, spinning off SVU, Organized Crime, and Criminal Intent, which ran for 10 years.
He’s The Lord of Law & Order
The show is the creation of Dick Wolf, who Variety called the “Lord of Law & Order.” In 2022, Wolf Entertainment had six series in primetime’s top 10 rankings. He is still a bit prickly when talking about the cancellation of his original show in 2020, “It was a political cancellation. It shouldn’t have gone off the air when it did,” he told Variety.
Law & Order, SVU, Organized Crime, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D. are all Wolf productions. “We understand the emotional connection our audience has with these characters and we can’t wait to bring more of their stories to the forefront next season,” said Lisa Katz, president of Scripted Programming at NBC Universal and Streaming. “A huge thank you to Dick and his amazing team who are the masters of producing incredibly compelling television week after week.”
This true crime drama has been very profitable for NBC and Wolf: Screenrant puts his net worth in the neighborhood of $600 million. “It’s very comforting to know absolutely what the legacy will be into the future,” he says. “This company has produced and has clear ownership in the longest-running dramas in the history of television. I don’t think anybody’s ever gonna catch us. And it ain’t over.”
SVU Is Sticking Around for NBC
Law & Order: SVU is also coming back in the fall, which will be its 26th season. The future is still up in the air for Law & Order: Organized Crime. Deadline is reporting the future of the show is still in discussion. Organized Crime is the lowest rated of the Dick Wolf shows. All three of the Chicago shows are coming back in the fall.
Organized Crime is currently averaging an audience of 3.58 million on Thursdays. SVU is averaging 11.2 million viewers, which is up 111% and up +325% in the demo. It has the strongest link to SVU with Elliot Stabler’s connection with Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson. David Graziano is the showrunner for SVU.
The Chicago franchise is also really doing well. Chicago Fire has 12.6 million viewers and Chicago P.D. has 12 million viewers. They are the top two shows produced by NBC and Wolf Entertainment.
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