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|num_seasons = 23<br />{{c|As of present}} |
|num_seasons = 23<br />{{c|As of present}} |
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| − | |num_episodes = |
+ | |num_episodes = 516<br />{{c|As of present}} |
|list_episodes = ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes|Law & Order: <br/>Special Victims Unit episodes]]'' |
|list_episodes = ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes|Law & Order: <br/>Special Victims Unit episodes]]'' |
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|imdb_id = [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203259/ Law & Order: SVU] |
|imdb_id = [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203259/ Law & Order: SVU] |
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As with the original ''Law & Order'', episodes are often [[List of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Ripped from the Headline episodes|loosely based on real crimes that have received media attention]] or as the franchise calls it "[[ripped from the headlines]]". |
As with the original ''Law & Order'', episodes are often [[List of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Ripped from the Headline episodes|loosely based on real crimes that have received media attention]] or as the franchise calls it "[[ripped from the headlines]]". |
||
| − | As of May |
+ | As of May 19, 2022, the series has aired 516 episodes, recently concluding the twenty-third season. |
| − | On [[27 February|February 27]], [[2020]], the show was renewed for three additional seasons, with the [[SVU Season |
+ | On [[27 February|February 27]], [[2020]], the show was renewed for three additional seasons, with the [[SVU Season 24|twenty-fourth season]] slated to premiere in September 2022. It is the longest-running primetime drama series in history, surpassing both ''Gunsmoke'' and ''[[Law & Order]]'' in 2019. It is also the longest-running series in the [[Law & Order franchise|''Law & Order'' franchise]]. |
On March 31, 2020, NBC announced that it had ordered a spin-off series titled ''[[Law & Order: Organized Crime]]'', which premiered on [[1 April|April 1]], [[2021]]. [[Christopher Meloni]] reprised his role as [[Elliot Stabler]] and the series is produced by [[Dick Wolf]]. The series centers around an organized crime taskforce with Stabler as a member of the unit. |
On March 31, 2020, NBC announced that it had ordered a spin-off series titled ''[[Law & Order: Organized Crime]]'', which premiered on [[1 April|April 1]], [[2021]]. [[Christopher Meloni]] reprised his role as [[Elliot Stabler]] and the series is produced by [[Dick Wolf]]. The series centers around an organized crime taskforce with Stabler as a member of the unit. |
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|[[Mariska Hargitay]] |
|[[Mariska Hargitay]] |
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|[[New York City Police Department]]<br />(N.Y.P.D.) [[16th Precinct]], [[Manhattan]]<br />[[Special Victims Unit]] (S.V.U.), [[Captain]]<br />(promoted from Junior to Senior [[Detective]], later promoted to Sergeant, then Lieutenant and finally Captain) [[Olivia Benson|Olivia Margaret "Liv" Benson]] |
|[[New York City Police Department]]<br />(N.Y.P.D.) [[16th Precinct]], [[Manhattan]]<br />[[Special Victims Unit]] (S.V.U.), [[Captain]]<br />(promoted from Junior to Senior [[Detective]], later promoted to Sergeant, then Lieutenant and finally Captain) [[Olivia Benson|Olivia Margaret "Liv" Benson]] |
||
| − | |Seasons [[SVU Season 1|1]]-present<br/>( |
+ | |Seasons [[SVU Season 1|1]]-present<br/>(516) |
|-style="background-color:#FFFF93" |
|-style="background-color:#FFFF93" |
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|[[Image:kelligiddishseason21.jpeg|100px]] |
|[[Image:kelligiddishseason21.jpeg|100px]] |
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|[[Kelli Giddish]] |
|[[Kelli Giddish]] |
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|[[New York City Police Department]]<br />(N.Y.P.D.) [[16th Precinct]], [[Manhattan]]<br />[[Special Victims Unit]] (S.V.U.), Police<br/>[[Detective]] Second Grade<br/>[[Amanda Rollins]] |
|[[New York City Police Department]]<br />(N.Y.P.D.) [[16th Precinct]], [[Manhattan]]<br />[[Special Victims Unit]] (S.V.U.), Police<br/>[[Detective]] Second Grade<br/>[[Amanda Rollins]] |
||
| − | |Seasons [[SVU Season 13|13]]-present<br/>( |
+ | |Seasons [[SVU Season 13|13]]-present<br/>(240) |
|-style="background-color:#FFFF93" |
|-style="background-color:#FFFF93" |
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|[[Image:Icetseason21.jpeg|100px]] |
|[[Image:Icetseason21.jpeg|100px]] |
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|[[Ice-T]] |
|[[Ice-T]] |
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|[[New York City Police Department]]<br />(N.Y.P.D.) [[16th Precinct]], [[Manhattan]]<br />[[Special Victims Unit]] (S.V.U.), Police [[Sergeant]] (promoted from [[Detective]])<br/>[[Odafin Tutuola|Odafin "Fin" Tutuola]] |
|[[New York City Police Department]]<br />(N.Y.P.D.) [[16th Precinct]], [[Manhattan]]<br />[[Special Victims Unit]] (S.V.U.), Police [[Sergeant]] (promoted from [[Detective]])<br/>[[Odafin Tutuola|Odafin "Fin" Tutuola]] |
||
| − | |Seasons [[SVU Season 2|2]]-present<br/>( |
+ | |Seasons [[SVU Season 2|2]]-present<br/>(490) |
|-style="background-color:#FFFF93" |
|-style="background-color:#FFFF93" |
||
|[[File:peterscanavinoseason21.jpeg|100px]] |
|[[File:peterscanavinoseason21.jpeg|100px]] |
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|[[Peter Scanavino]] |
|[[Peter Scanavino]] |
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|[[New York City]], [[Manhattan District Attorney's Office]], [[Sex Crimes Bureau]]<br />[[Assistant District Attorney]] (A.D.A.)<br/>[[Dominick Carisi, Jr.|Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, Jr.]] (promoted from [[New York City Police Department]] (N.Y.P.D.) [[16th Precinct]], [[Manhattan]] [[Special Victims Unit]] (S.V.U.),<br/>Junior Police [[Detective]] First Grade) |
|[[New York City]], [[Manhattan District Attorney's Office]], [[Sex Crimes Bureau]]<br />[[Assistant District Attorney]] (A.D.A.)<br/>[[Dominick Carisi, Jr.|Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, Jr.]] (promoted from [[New York City Police Department]] (N.Y.P.D.) [[16th Precinct]], [[Manhattan]] [[Special Victims Unit]] (S.V.U.),<br/>Junior Police [[Detective]] First Grade) |
||
| − | |Seasons [[SVU Season 16|16]]-present<br/>( |
+ | |Seasons [[SVU Season 16|16]]-present<br/>(168) |
|-style="background-color:#FFFF93" |
|-style="background-color:#FFFF93" |
||
|[[File:Octaviopisanoseason23.png|100px]] |
|[[File:Octaviopisanoseason23.png|100px]] |
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|[[Octavio Pisano]] |
|[[Octavio Pisano]] |
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|[[New York City Police Department]] (N.Y.P.D.) [[16th Precinct]], [[Manhattan]] [[Special Victims Unit]] (S.V.U.), Junior Police [[Detective]] [[Joe Velasco]] |
|[[New York City Police Department]] (N.Y.P.D.) [[16th Precinct]], [[Manhattan]] [[Special Victims Unit]] (S.V.U.), Junior Police [[Detective]] [[Joe Velasco]] |
||
| − | |Seasons [[SVU Season 23|23]]-present<br/>( |
+ | |Seasons [[SVU Season 23|23]]-present<br/>(19) |
|} |
|} |
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|[[Raúl Esparza]] |
|[[Raúl Esparza]] |
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|[[New York City]], [[Manhattan District Attorney's Office]], [[Sex Crimes Bureau]] [[Assistant district attorney|Assistant District Attorney]] (A.D.A.) [[Rafael Barba]] |
|[[New York City]], [[Manhattan District Attorney's Office]], [[Sex Crimes Bureau]] [[Assistant district attorney|Assistant District Attorney]] (A.D.A.) [[Rafael Barba]] |
||
| − | |Seasons [[SVU Season 15|15]]-[[SVU Season 19|19]]<br />''(Recurring Seasons [[SVU Season 14|14]], [[SVU Season 23|23]])''<br />''(Guest Seasons [[SVU Season 21|21]]-[[SVU Season 22|22]]'')<br/>( |
+ | |Seasons [[SVU Season 15|15]]-[[SVU Season 19|19]]<br />''(Recurring Seasons [[SVU Season 14|14]], [[SVU Season 23|23]])''<br />''(Guest Seasons [[SVU Season 21|21]]-[[SVU Season 22|22]]'')<br/>(119) |
|-style="background-color:#FFFF93" |
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Revision as of 04:56, 20 May 2022
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | |
|
| |
| Alternate Title(s) | L&O: SVU, SVU, Special Victims Unit, Sex Crimes |
| Format | Crime Drama Police procedural |
| Picture Format | 480i (SDTV), 1080i (HDTV) |
| Running Time | 40–45 minutes |
| Created by | Dick Wolf |
| Starring | See below |
| Narrated By | Steven Zirnkilton |
| Opening Theme | by Mike Post |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language | English |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Original run | 20 September 1999 |
| Finale | |
| No. of seasons | 23 (As of present) |
| No. of episodes | 516 (As of present) |
| List of episodes | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes |
| IMDB profile | Law & Order: SVU |
| TV.com summary | Law & Order: SVU |
| related shows | Law & Order franchise |
- "In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories."
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a crime drama television series aired on NBC that premiered on September 20, 1999. Created and produced by Dick Wolf, the series premiered on NBC on September 20, 1999, as the first spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama, Law & Order.
The Special Victims Unit is located in the 16th Precinct of the New York City Police Department and focuses on victims of sexual crimes, such as rape, pedophilia, and domestic abuse, as well as cases involving children, the handicapped and elderly victims of non-sexual crimes who require specialist handling from the unit. Its stories also touch on the political and societal issues associated with gender identity, sexual preferences, and equality rights.
As with the original Law & Order, episodes are often loosely based on real crimes that have received media attention or as the franchise calls it "ripped from the headlines".
As of May 19, 2022, the series has aired 516 episodes, recently concluding the twenty-third season.
On February 27, 2020, the show was renewed for three additional seasons, with the twenty-fourth season slated to premiere in September 2022. It is the longest-running primetime drama series in history, surpassing both Gunsmoke and Law & Order in 2019. It is also the longest-running series in the Law & Order franchise.
On March 31, 2020, NBC announced that it had ordered a spin-off series titled Law & Order: Organized Crime, which premiered on April 1, 2021. Christopher Meloni reprised his role as Elliot Stabler and the series is produced by Dick Wolf. The series centers around an organized crime taskforce with Stabler as a member of the unit.
Premise
Based out of the NYPD New York City Police Department's 16th precinct in Manhattan, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit delves into the dark side of the New York underworld as the detectives of a new elite force, the Special Victims Unit (SVU for short), investigate and prosecute various sexually oriented crimes including rape, pedophilia, and domestic violence. They also investigate the abuses of children, the disabled and elderly victims of non-sexual crimes who require specialist handling, all while trying to balance the effects of the investigation on their own lives as they try not to let the dark side of these crimes affect them. Its stories also touch on the political and societal issues associated with gender identity, sexual preferences, and equality rights. While the victim is often murdered, this is not always the case, and victims frequently play prominent roles in episodes. The unit also works with the Manhattan District Attorney's office as they prosecute cases and seek justice for SVU's victims and survivors with precision and a passion to win and bring closure to the intense investigations. The series often uses stories that are "ripped from the headlines" or based on real crimes. Such episodes take a real crime and fictionalize it by changing some details.[1]
Originally, the show focused around the detective pairings of Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson and John Munch and Brian Cassidy. Stabler is a seasoned veteran of the unit who has seen it all and tries his best to protect his family from the horrors he has seen in his career. Meanwhile, Benson's difficult past as the child of a rape victim is the reason why she joined the unit. Backing them up is John Munch, and his first partner Brian Cassidy. Munch is a transfer from Baltimore's homicide unit, who brings his acerbic wit, conspiracy theories, and street-honed investigative skills; Cassidy is young and eager to learn from his fellow detectives. These two detective teams received support from Detectives Monique Jeffries and Ken Briscoe.[2] When Cassidy transferred to Narcotics after thirteen episodes, Jeffries was partnered with Munch for the remainder of season one and Briscoe was phased out. In the beginning of season two, Munch was then permanently partnered with Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola, whose unique yet sometimes vulgar sense of humor and investigative experience make him a formidable match for Munch.[3] Brooklyn SVU Detective Chester Lake would assist on several Manhattan cases during the eighth season and then join during season nine; Lake would then depart at the season's end after being arrested for murdering a crooked cop who had gotten away with rape. These detectives were supervised by veteran Captain Donald Cragen, who oversaw the team for seasons 1–15. Cragen's tough-but-supportive approach to the team's complex cases guides the squad through the challenges they face every day. Also on the team's payroll is FBI Special Agent Dr. George Huang and Medical Examiner Dr. Melinda Warner]. As the resident psychiatrist for the Special Victims Unit, Huang helps keep the officers sane in a field that could drive ordinary people mad. He has also served as the squad's resident criminal profiler, and his insights into the criminal mind have often helped the officers to crack the toughest perps, while Warner has become an integral part of the Manhattan Special Victims Unit, and her personal skills have contributed to the unit's high success rate in closing cases.
The Unit did not receive a full-time assistant district attorney until season two, when Alexandra Cabot was assigned to work with the detectives.[4] After Cabot enters the Witness Protection Program after almost being killed in a hit in season five, she was replaced by Casey Novak, who remained as the ADA until the end of season nine, when she is censured for violating due process while trying to bring a rapist cop to justice. Kim Greylek became the permanent ADA in the season ten premiere, until Cabot made a return midway through that season when Greylek returned to the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. Cabot remained the ADA through the second half of season 11. After Cabot's departure, the ADA void was filled by Sonya Paxton (Christine Lahti) and Jo Marlowe (Sharon Stone) until the conclusion of season 11. Gillian Hardwicke (Melissa Sagemiller) served as the SVU's ADA during season 12, while Novak would return for a guest appearance after completing her suspension near the end of the season. In season 13, both Cabot and Novak returned as ADAs. From the beginning of season 14, ADA Rafael Barba was SVU's prosecutor, until leaving halfway through season 19. Chicago Justice's Peter Stone became SVU's ADA after Chicago Justice was canceled after only one season. In the season 21 premiere, former Detective Dominick Carisi, Jr. became the SVU ADA.[5]
In season 13, other big changes happened with Stabler having retired in the aftermath of the season 12 finale, until he reappears in season 22, leading him to join NYPD's Organized Crime Control Bureau. Huang also departed at the same time after being reassigned to Oklahoma City, but has returned for occasional guest appearances. Detectives Nick Amaro and Amanda Rollins joined the team filling the void left by Stabler. Amaro brought empathy to his cases while dealing with a stressful home life, while Rollins had dogged persistence and instincts help her close cases, but also secrets that could derail her career. During season 15, both Munch and Cragen retired from the NYPD, leaving Benson, after being promoted to Sergeant, to take control of the unit; she would later be promoted to Lieutenant at the start of season 17 and then Captain at the start of season 21. Season 16 was another period of change with the introduction of Carisi at the beginning and the departure of Amaro at the end. Also introduced in season 16 was Deputy Chief William Dodds, who served as commanding officer for the Special Victims Units in all five boroughs of New York. Dodds' son Mike transferred into Special Victims as Sergeant, becoming Benson's second-in-command until his death at the end of the season; Fin later passes the Sergeant's exam during season 18 and is officially promoted in Mike's place in season 19 Following Carisi's move to the DA's office in season 21, Vice Officer Katriona "Kat" Tamin joined the team after assisting on several cases, eventually getting promoted to detective. Dodds also departed the series at the start of the season, allowing new deputy chief Christian Garland to take his place. At the start of season 23, Tamin and Garland both resign from the NYPD after becoming disillusioned with the system's failures and systematic bias within the department, with Tamin being replaced by Detective Joe Velasco.
Episodes
- For a list of episodes, see Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episodes.
Production
Development
The idea for "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" originated with the 1986 "preppie murder" case of Robert Chambers, who strangled Jennifer Levin, a woman that he dated and later murdered during what he claimed was consensual "rough sex" in Manhattan's Central Park.
The crime inspired Dick Wolf to write the story for the season one episode of "Law & Order" titled "Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die". However, even after writing the episode, the case continued to haunt Wolf, who wanted to go deeper into the psychology of crimes to examine the role of human sexuality.
The original title of the show was "Sex Crimes", reflecting the sexual nature of the crimes depicted on the show. Initially, there was concern among the producers that, should "Sex Crimes" fail, identifying the new show with the Law & Order franchise could hurt the original show.
Additionally, Ted Kotcheff wanted to create a new series that wasn't dependent upon the original series for success. However, Wolf felt that it was important and commercially desirable to have "Law & Order" in the title, and initially proposed the title of the show be "Law & Order: Sex Crimes".
However, Barry Diller (then head of Studios USA) was concerned about the title and it was changed to "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" to reflect the actual unit of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) that handles sexually based offenses that are especially heinous.
The first episode, "Payback", premiered on NBC on September 20, 1999.
Executive producers
Executive producer Neal Baer left Law & Order: SVU as showrunner at the end of season twelve, after eleven years (seasons 2–12) on the show, in order to sign a three-year deal with CBS Studios. Baer was replaced by former "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" showrunner Warren Leight.
In March of 2015, it was announced that Warren Leight signed a three-year deal with Sony Pictures Television, that will allow him to work on SVU one more season, its seventeenth. Leight joined the show in season thirteen.
It was announced on March 10, 2016 that original "Law & Order" veteran producer Rick Eid would take Leight's place as showrunner starting in season 18.
Creator Dick Wolf commented to The Hollywood Reporter, "I'm extremely pleased that Rick had decided to rejoin the family and hope that he will be here for years to come."
During post-production of season 18, following the announcement that "SVU" was renewed for a nineteenth season, it was revealed that Rick Eid departed the series. He will be taking over another Dick Wolf/NBC series, "Chicago P.D.."
It was announced on May 25, 2017 that original "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent "showrunner Michael S. Chernuchin would be reprising his role starting on season nineteen.
Chernuchin was also co-creator and executive producing showrunner of "Chicago Justice", another Wolf-related show that was canceled by NBC at the end of the 2016–17 TV season.
Main Cast
Current Cast and Characters
Previous Cast and Characters
Crossover Guest Stars
Recurring Guest Stars
- For a list of recurring characters, see SVU recurring characters.
External Links
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit at NBC
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit at Wikipedia
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Episode Guide at Wikipedia
- Law & Order: SVU at NBC Wiki (Fandom)
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit at One Chicago & The FBIs Wiki
- ↑ Conan, Neal. "'Law & Order' Writer Turns Headlines Into TV", Talk of the Nation, NPR, September 29, 2009.
- ↑ "Payback". Writer: Dick Wolf. Director: Jean de Segonzac. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. NBC. September 20, 1999. No. 1, season 1.
- ↑ "Limitations". Writer: Michael R. Perry. Director: Constantine Makris. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. NBC. February 11, 2000. No. 14, season 1.
- ↑ "Wrong is Right". Writers: Jeff Eckerle & David J. Burke. Director: Ted Kotcheff. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. NBC. October 20, 2000. No. 1, season 2.
- ↑ "I'm Going to Make You a Start". Writers: Warren Leight & Peter Blauner. Director: Norberto Barba. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. NBC. September 26, 2019. No. 1, season 21.