It wouldn’t be Thursday without NBC’s lineup Law and order shows.
The long-running franchise created by Dick Wolf has become a large part of the cultural lexicon. Over the course of more than 30 years, the series spawned a total of seven spinoffs, including Law and order: SVU and Law and order: organized crime. Now, after months of production delays due to the historic SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, all three iconic shows are returning.
The Law and order Universe originated in 1990 with the flagship series, a procedural crime drama that split its time between “two separate but equally important groups: the police, who investigate crimes, and the district attorneys, who prosecute criminals.”
The series, which starred the late Jerry Orbach alongside S. Epatha Merkerson, Jesse L. Martin, Chris Noth and Sam Waterston, among others, ran for 20 seasons on NBC and earned 50 Emmy nominations before being canceled in 2010 More than a decade later, the series was revived, with a 21st season premiering in 2022.
Until that time, Law and order it has already spawned a number of spinoffs, of which it is the most popular Law and order: SVU. Debuting in 1999. ALL is the longest-running primetime television drama in history, with a landmark 25th season premiering in 2024. The latest spinoff to emerge from the franchise, Law and order: organized crime, was presented in 2021.
The start of the year is marked by new episodes of all three shows airing on NBC’s schedule on Thursday nights, beginning at 8:00 PM ET. You can watch new episodes with a subscription to live TV, such as DirecTV, Philo TV, and Fubo TV, but streaming is also available on select platforms, most notably NBC’s streaming service, Peacock.
Here’s how to watch every series in Law and order franchise.
Where can I watch Law and order?
Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy and Angie Harmon as Abbie Carmichael in ‘Law and Order’.
Jessica Burstein/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty
First in Law and order lineup is the show that started it all. Law and order debuted on NBC on September 13, 1990, with a simple premise centered on the New York City criminal justice system. Each episode followed an easy-to-digest formula: a crime happens, the police investigate, and the district attorney prosecutes.
During the first 20 seasons, Law and order it featured a rotating cast of characters. The three longest-serving cast members were Orbach, who played Detective Lennie Briscoe for 12 seasons, Waterston, who portrayed District Attorney (DA) Jack McCoy for 16 seasons, and Merkerson, who portrayed Lt. Anita Van Buren for 17 seasons.
Other notable cast members over the years have included Benjamin Bratt as Detective Rey Curtis, Angie Harmon as Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Abbie Carmichael, and Anthony Anderson as Detective Kevin Bernard.
The series was abruptly ended in 2010, but a renewal was announced more than a decade later. Waterston and Anderson returned for season 21, reprising their roles as Detective Kevin Bernard and Prosecutor Jack McCoy. They were joined by newcomers Hugh Dancy, Jeffrey Donovan, Camryn Manheim and Odelya Halevi.
While Donovan did not return in season 23, Waterston, Dancy, Manheim and Halevi reprized their roles alongside season 22 star Mehcad Brooks and Veep alum, Reid Scott. (Anderson did not return in season 22).
Beginning January 18, new episodes will air Thursdays at 7:00 PM ET on NBC. New episodes will be available to stream the following day on Peacock and NBC.com. Fans Law and order may also air seasons 13-20 on Peacock.
Unfortunately, not every season is available to stream, rent or buy, but a few are. Vudu has seasons 1, 2, and 16-22 available for purchase, while Amazon has seasons 1, 2, and 16-20.
Where can I watch Law and order: SVU?
Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay in ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’.
Universal TV/Kobal/Shutterstock
The first spinoff series and the most popular franchise to date, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) debuted in September 1999 and has been on the air ever since.
ALL revolves around the Special Victims Unit, a group of specially trained NYPD detectives who investigate sex-related crimes. Like its predecessor, ALL has a “ripped-from-the-title” approach to storytelling, though it focuses more on detectives than lawyers.
Another similarity ALL shares with the flagship series a rotating cast of characters. The only exception is Mariska Hargitay, who has starred in the series since its inception. Her role as Detective Olivia Benson — the longest-reigning character on prime-time TV — won her multiple awards, including an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
Hargitay returned in season 25 alongside her co-star, Ice-T. The rapper turned actor joined ALL as Det. Fin Tutuola in season two, making him the longest-running male actor on television. Other familiar faces include Peter Scanavino as Prosecutor Dominick Carisi, Octavio Pisano as Detective Joe Velasco and Kevin Kane as Detective Terry Bruno. Kelli Giddish will also return, reprising her role as fan-favorite detective Amanda Rollins.
ALL’with Season 25 airs Thursdays at 9pm ET on NBC. New episodes will be available to stream the next day on NBC.com, Peacock and Hulu.
Fans of the series can also stream every single episode of the previous seasons on Peacock and Hulu.
Where can I watch Law and order: organized crime?
Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler in ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’.
Will Hart/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty
The latest edition of the franchise, Law and order: organized crime debuted in April 2021 as a spinoff for ALL.
The series stars Christopher Meloni, who reprises his role as Detective Elliot Stabler. Meloni left ALL after its 12th season, to the horror of fans, so its return to Law and order universe was highly anticipated and well received.
In the series, Detective Elliot Stabler, a former member of the Special Victims Unit and former partner of Olive Benson, returns to the NYPD after his wife is murdered by a dangerous mafia affiliate. Although Organized crime deviates from the typical Law and order format, there have been numerous crossovers — and fans are hoping for more to come.
Meloni is joined by Danielle Moné Truitt in the fourth season as Sgt. Ayanna Bell, Ainsley Seiger as Det. Jet Slootmaekers and Rick Gonzalez as Det. Bobby Reyes.
New episodes Organized crime airs Thursdays on NBC at 10pm ET and will be available to stream the following day on Peacock and NBC.com. All three previous seasons are also available on Peacock.
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Source: HIS Education