‘Law & Order: SVU’ Gets Season 20 Pickup To Tie Record, Dick Wolf’s Three ‘Chicago’ Series Also Renewed By NBC
NBC has renewed all four of its Dick Wolf series. That includes Law & Order: SVU, picked up for a 20th season, tying the record for longest-running drama series, held jointly by Law & Order and Gunsmoke. The network also has renewed all three Windy City-set drama series for next season: Chicago Fire will return for Season 7, Chicago P.D. for Season 6 and Chicago Med for Season 4.
The previous NBC regime denied Wolf the opportunity to beat Gunsmoke‘s record by canceling the mothership Law & Order series after Season 20. With Law & Order: SVU still doing well in its 19th season and Wolf’s career contributions to NBC, he got a shot at making history.
This season, SVU is tied with another Wolf show, Chicago P.D., as NBC’s second-highest-rated drama series behind This Is Us, averaging a 2.2 adults 18-49 most current rating. The other two Chicago shows, Chicago Fire and Chicago Med, are right behind with a 2.1.
Created by prolific, Emmy-winning producer Wolf, Law & Order: SVU chronicles the life and crimes of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who investigate sexually based crimes. Mariska Hargitay stars as Lt. Olivia Benson, acting commander of the SVU. Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino and Philip Winchester also star.
Hargitay has earned eight Emmy nominations for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the role, winning in 2006. The series also has nabbed five guest-star Emmy wins over the years for Ann-Margret (2010), Ellen Burstyn (2009), Cynthia Nixon (2008), Leslie Caron (2007) and Amanda Plummer (2005).
Law & Order: SVU has been sold to more than 250 territories around the world. The series is produced by Wolf Films in association with Universal Television.
The Chicago franchise launched in 2012 with Chicago Fire. It has generated three spinoff series. Chicago P.D., Chicago Med and Chicago Justice, which did not make it to a second season.
The three remaining Chicago series, along with Wolf’s veteran Law & Order: SVU, have been a backbone of NBC’s drama lineup.
The renewal for Chicago Med follows the pickup to series of NBC medical drama pilot New Amsterdam, which eyes a spot on the fall schedule. With the pair, NBC is looking to replicate ABC’s success with veteran Grey’s Anatomy and newbie The Good Doctor. The two medical dramas have happily co-existed this season, ranking as ABC’s two highest rated drama series in adults 18-49.
Chicago Fire looks into the lives of the firefighters, rescue squad and paramedics of Chicago Firehouse 51 who risk their lives week in and week out to save and protect the citizens of their city. Eamonn Walker, Monica Raymund, Kara Killmer, David Eigenberg, Stella Kidd, Christian Stolte, Joe Minoso and Yuri Sardarov star.
Chicago P.D. follows the men and women of the Chicago Police Department’s elite Intelligence Unit, combatting the city’s most heinous offenses: organized crime, drug trafficking, high-profile murders and beyond. It stars Jason Beghe, Jon Seda , Jesse Lee Soffer, Patrick John Flueger, Marina Squerciati, Elias Koteas, LaRoyce Hawkins, Amy Morton and Tracy Spiridakos.
Chicago Med follows the day-to-day chaos of the city’s newest state-of-the-art trauma center and look into the lives of the courageous doctors, nurses and staff who hold it all together. Nick Gehlfuss, Torrey DeVitto, Colin Donnell, Norma Kuhling, Oliver Platt, Rachel DiPillo, Brian Tee, S. Epatha Merkerson, Yaya DaCosta and Marlyne Barrett star.
Wolf also has True Crime at NBC. The producer also has Cold Justice and Criminal Confessions at Oxygen, both of which were renewed last month, and the upcoming drama series F.B.I. on CBS.