Law & Order Thursdays are going to continue for a while.
NBC has renewed both Law & Order and Law & Order: Organized Crime for the 2022-23 season.
This extends Law & Order’s run to 22 seasons while Law & Order: Organized Crime carries on for a third year and continues the block of Law & Order programming.
Law & Order renewals reactions
The announcement was made by NBC with President of Scripting Programming Lisa Katz stating how happy they were to continue the shows.
“The iconic Law & Order brand has long been synonymous with NBC and we couldn’t be more excited to bring back all three of these dramas for the 2022-23 season. It’s a testament to the brilliance of Dick Wolf’s storytelling that audiences remain compelled by these unforgettable characters week after week, year after year.”
The renewals come shortly after producer Dick Wolf’s FBI franchise earned a two-season renewal for each of the three series. The One Chicago shows had already gained a three-season pickup in 2020.
“Dreams do come true,” said executive producer Wolf. “The renewals of the entire Wednesday and Thursday night lineups is the ultimate verification of our partnership with NBC and Universal Television. I personally want to thank the talented writers and casts, the producers who keep the trains running on time and the crews who tirelessly turn out outstanding shows despite a degree of difficulty never before experienced due to the pandemic.”
Law & Order Thursdays continue to succeed
The road to the current Law & Order Thursdays has been a bit more complex than planned.
In May of 2021, NBC announced that Law & Order Thursdays would be a dominant block on their schedule.
The plan then was for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 23 and Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 2 to be joined by the planned Law & Order: For The Defense.
But in July of 2021, NBC suddenly halted production on For the Defense, citing difficulties making the story work. That left just the other two Law & Order shows to air alongside The Blacklist.
In September of 2021, NBC announced they would be reviving the original Law & Order for a 21st season as a continuation of the original run of the series. It premiered in February 2022 as a lead-in for the other two shows.
Since then, the three Law & Order shows have done well in the ratings as NBC has ranked #1 on Thursday nights in the 18-49 demo with its all Law & Order franchise lineup. Law & Order: Organized Crime is #1 in its 10 pm Thursday timeslot in the 18-49 demo and all key adult demos.
The shows have undergone changes as Law & Order: Organized Crime showrunner Ilene Chaiken suddenly left in February. Also, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit showrunner Warren Leight announced he is stepping down following Season 23.
With Law & Order: Special Victims Unit having gotten a three-season renewal back in 2020, this means all three shows will continue to run on Thursdays through 2023.
The three Law & Order shows will have their respective season finale on May 19. The renewals now give all three time to prepare for another year of drama and continue the iconic brand for another Thursday season to come.
Law & Order Thursdays begin with Law & Order Season 21 at 8/7c on NBC.