NBC Renews LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT has been renewed for a record-breaking 21st season, NBC announced.

The drama series was tied with LAW & ORDER and GUNSMOKE as the longest-running live-action primetime drama (in terms of seasons); the order for season 21 gives SVU sole possession of the lead.

“We tip our cap to Dick Wolf, Mariska Hargitay and the amazing cast and crew of SVU, who now all go into the record book,” Paul Telegdy and George Cheeks, Co-Chairmen, NBC Entertainment said in a statement. “This incredible run is an example of what happens when producers, writers and actors all come together and create a show that, year after year, speaks to its audience in a powerful way. We couldn’t be more proud of this remarkable achievement.”

“As SVU moves into its third decade, Mariska has become an iconic figure as a star, advocate and crusader for women,” said creator/executive producer Dick Wolf. “She is an enduring champion of the movement to end sexual violence, and dozens of episodes have dealt with the very same issues that have shifted into the spotlight in this country in the past two years. Mariska is a delight as #1 on the call sheet and, to me, a true friend.”

“I’m deeply proud to be a part of this groundbreaking show, and humbled to make television history today,” said Hargitay. “The longevity and continued success of SVU is a testament not only to the show’s powerful storytelling and ability to connect with viewers, but to its necessity. We have told important stories for 20 years, and we will continue to tell them.”

Last September,  Wolf told reporters it would be “pretty cool” to have the longest and second-longest running primetime dramas. “I just don’t want to get stopped at the finish line again.” (LAW & ORDER was infamously canceled before it could possess sole ownership of the record.)

The news comes as NBC has also pushed LAW & ORDER spinoff LAW & ORDER: HATE CRIMES. Originally, the series was supposed to debut as a backdoor pilot in a season 20 episode of SVU; now, the network has postponed its debut.

LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, Thursdays, 10/9c, NBC

RELATED:

• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: ‘Blackout’ Photos
• LAW & ORDER: HATE CRIMES Pushed
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: Dean Winters Sets Return
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: Behind-the-Scenes Photos of Mariska Hargitay Directing ‘Mea Culpa’
• LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: Behind-the-Scenes Photos of Monica Raymund Directing ‘Hell’s Kitchen’
• Dick Wolf on LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT Being on the Cusp of Television History
• Dick Wolf on Expanding the LAW & ORDER Universe with L&O: HATE CRIMES

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