NBC Renews 'Law & Order: SVU', Picks Up 'Chicago Fire', Inks New Deal With Dick Wolf

I’ve learned that NBC has closed a deal to renew Dick Wolf‘s veteran procedural Law & Order: SVU for a 14th season. Additionally, the network has given a series order to the Wolf-produced firefighter drama pilot Chicago Fire. And I also hear the producer has signed a new deal with NBC to stay at his long-time home, where he also is producing a new military competition reality series with Mark Burnett.

Chicago Fire, from Universal Television and Wolf Films, stars House‘s Jesse Spencer and is described as a action-driven drama exploring the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department. Derek Haas and Michael Brandt wrote the script and are executive producing with Wolf and his executives Danielle Gelber and Peter Jankowski. Eamonn Walker, Taylor Kinney, Monica Raymund, David Eigenberg, Charlie Barnett, Lauren German, Teri Reeves and Merle Dandridge co-star.

Despite its ratings taking a hit this season following the departure of co-star Chris Meloni and with the series being stuck with an anemic lead-in, Law & Order: SVU (2.3/6 in adults 18-49, 7.6 million total viewers in most current season averages) has remained one of NBC’s strongest series, ranking third behind The Voice-boosted Smash and Parenthood among adults 18-49. SVU star Mariska Hargitay already has a deal to return next season. Wolf has been based at NBC since the 2004 NBC-Universal merger. Before that, he was based at Universal’s TV studio, where the Law & Order franchise originated. This is his first renewal since NBCUni was taken over by Comcast last year.