Law & Order: SVU just broke a record! The @nbc series has officially been renewed for season 21 & the renewal makes it the longest-running primetime live-action show in American TV history.
The series will surpass the record of 20 seasons currently held by its parent show, Law & Order (1990-2010) and CBS’ Gunsmoke (1955-75). (The Simpsons remains the all-time leader for any primetime show in both seasons at 30, with two more to come, and episodes, currently at 657.)
Star and executive producer Mariska Hargitay will also extend her run as Lt. Olivia Benson, the longest-running female character in a live-action primetime series. Hargitay has earned eight Emmy nominations for her role, winning the award for drama lead actress in 2006.
SVU premiered in September 1999 and has racked up 452 episodes to date. There are no current plans for season 21 to be the show’s last, although Wolf’s long-standing overall deal with Universal TV is up in June 2020.
NBC is also developing a spinoff called Law & Order: Hate Crimes, though the network pulled back from airing a planted spinoff episode during SVU this season. Wolf will have four shows on NBC next season as all three Chicago dramas have already been renewed. The prolific producer also has FBI and a potential spinoff at CBS, and a sequel to his 1990s Fox series New York Undercover is in contention for next season at ABC.
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