At the time of writing this, Law & Order — the flagship series — remains on the bubble. That one could go either way at NBC, but the focus is on the two other shows within the universe. At least, the two in the U.S. universe, as Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is under a different network and decision-makers.
There’s been some good and bad news when it comes to the Law & Order universe. While one show has been renewed, another has been canceled, and it could change everything for the Bensler relationship.
Law & Order: Organized Crime Has Been Canceled
After five seasons, NBC Universal has decided to cancel Law & Order: Organized Crime. In a way, this decision isn’t all that surprising. The fifth season initially aired on Peacock, and then it got a fall run on NBC, but it still didn’t perform as well as it did in the past.
The move to Peacock was always going to be risky. People who watch on NBC weren’t necessarily going to want the streaming platform. On top of that, the episode count dropped, and while that allowed for a more cohesive story, it didn’t quite have the same feel as the other two Law & Order shows.
What isn’t clear is whether Christopher Meloni’s Stabler could return to Law & Order: SVU. Not permanently, but just as a guest star. After all, we need Benlser to finally happen, right?
Law & Order: SVU Has Been Renewed for Season 28
In some good news, SVU is still going, and yes, this opens the door for Benlser if the show can find a way to add Stabler into it. With the upcoming season, it will mean the series will push past the 600th episode, which is a huge feat for any network show — and not just right now.
It turns out that the fate of SVU was never in the air. The show had been quietly renewed at the same time as the Season 27 renewal came in. The cast and writers knew, but this was never shared with us as fans.
We will likely still see some of the changes that have come to the Dick Wolf universe over time. The episodes don’t always contain all characters, with some of the actors taking breaks here and there as they now have just guaranteed minimums when it comes to appearances. This is a way for the networks to save money on production.
Now we wait for Law & Order. We’re also waiting for renewal or cancellation decisions on The Hunting Party, Brilliant Minds, Stumble, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, and more. NBC hasn’t made many decisions as of yet.
