Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson, Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins, Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler in ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime.'.Photo:Will Hart/NBC/Getty
Will Hart/NBC/Getty
It wouldn’t be Thursday without NBC’s lineup ofLaw & Ordershows.
TheLaw & Orderuniverse originated in 1990 with the flagship series, a procedural crime drama that divided its time between “two separate yet equally important groups: The police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.”
The series, which starred the late Jerry Orbach, along with S. Epatha Merkerson,Jesse L. Martin,Chris NothandSam Waterston, among others, ran for 20 seasons on NBC and earned 50 Emmy nominations before it was canceled in 2010. Over a decade later,the show was revived, with season 21 premiering in 2022.
By that time,Law & Orderhad already launched a number of spinoffs, the most popular beingLaw & Order: SVU.Debuting in 1999,SVUis the longest-running primetime television drama in history, with a landmark 25th season premiering in 2024. The most recent spinoff to come out of the franchise,Law & Order: Organized Crime,was introduced in 2021.
Here’s how to watch every series in theLaw & Orderfranchise.
Where can I watchLaw & Order?
Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy and Angie Harmon as Abbie Carmichael in ‘Law & Order’.Jessica Burstein/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty
Jessica Burstein/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty
Law & Orderdebuted on NBC on Sept. 13, 1990, with a simple premise focused on the New York City criminal justice system. Each episode followed an easily digestible formula: a crime occurs, the police investigate and the district attorney prosecutes.
During its initial 20-season run,Law & Orderfeatured a rotating cast of characters. The three longest-serving members were Orbach, who portrayed 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 includedBenjamin Brattas Detective Rey Curtis,Angie Harmonas Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Abbie Carmichael, andAnthony Andersonas Detective Kevin Bernard.
While Donovan didn’t return for season 23, Waterston, Dancy, Manheim and Halevi reprised their roles along with season 22 star, Mehcad Brooks andVeepalum,Reid Scott. (Anderson did not return for season 22).
New episodes started airing on Jan. 18, 2024, and continued Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. They are available for streaming the next day onPeacockandNBC.com. Fans ofLaw & Ordercan also stream seasons 13 through 20 on Peacock.
Unfortunately, not every season is available to stream, rent, or buy, but several are.Vuduhas seasons 1, 2 and 16-22 available to purchase, whileAmazonhas seasons 1, 2 and 16-20.
Where can I watchLaw & Order: SVU?
Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay in ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’.Universal Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
Universal Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
The first spinoff series, and the franchise’s most popular to date,Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU)debuted in September 1999 and has been on-air ever since.
SVUrevolves around the Special Victims Unit, a group of specially trained NYPD detectives that investigate sexual crimes. Like its predecessor,SVUtakes a “ripped-from-the-headlines” approach to storytelling, although it’s more focused on the detectives than the attorneys.
Hargitay returned for season 25 along with her costar,Ice-T. The rapper-turned-actor joinedSVUas Det. Fin Tutuola in the second season, making himthe longest-running male actoron television. Other familiar faces includePeter Scanavinoas ADA Dominick Carisi, Octavio Pisano as Detective Joe Velasco and Kevin Kane as Detective Terry Bruno.Kelli Giddishalso returned to the series in 2024, reprising her role as fan-favorite Detective Amanda Rollins.
SVU’s25th season airs Thursdays on NBC at 9 p.m. ET. New episodes will be available to stream the next day on NBC.com,PeacockandHulu.
Fans of the series can also stream every single episode of previous seasons on Peacock and Hulu.
Where can I watchLaw & Order: Organized Crime?
Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler in ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’.Will Hart/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty
Will Hart/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty
The most recent addition to the franchise,Law & Order: Organized Crime,debuted in April 2021 as a spinoff toSVU.
The series starsChristopher Meloni, reprising his role as Detective Elliot Stabler.Meloni leftSVUafter its 12th season, much to the dismay of fans, so his return to theLaw & Orderuniverse was highly anticipated and well-received.
In the series, Stabler, a former member of the Special Victims Unit and Benson’s ex-partner, returns to the NYPD after his wife’s murder at the hands of a dangerous mob affiliate. AlthoughOrganized Crimestrays from the typicalLaw & Orderformat, there have been numerous crossovers — and fans are hopeful that more will come.
New episodes ofOrganized Crimeair Thursdays on NBC at 10 p.m. ET and are available to stream the next day onPeacockand NBC.com. All three previous seasons are also available on Peacock.
source: people.com
