Two of the three ongoing Law & Order shows have been officially renewed. The universe of shows from creator Dick Wolf combine crime procedural and legal procedural elements and have all branched out from the flagship show, which originally premiered on NBC in 1990. So far, the show has received six spinoffs, with several (Criminal Intent, Trial by Jury, LA, and True Crime) already having been cancelled. However, the first spinoff, Special Victims Unit, is still going strong with 23 seasons so far. The other ongoing spinoff, Organized Crime, features Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), a character who originated on SVU.
Per Deadline, Law & Order season 24 and Special Victims Unit season 26 have both been renewed by NBC. Organized Crime season 5 is still on the bubble, however. They report that the show, which has seen a revolving door of showrunners and major cast members, is the lowest-rated Wolf show on NBC, a list that also includes the shows in the One Chicago franchise including Chicago Med, Fire, and P.D.
Will Law & Order: Organized Crime Return for Season 5?
NBC’s recent sweeping renewals of Dick Wolf universe shows have seen three One Chicago shows and two Law & Order shows renewed, which leaves Organized Crime season 5 in a perilous position. It still has a chance to earn a renewal if it can entice more viewers to tune in as it nears the end of season 4. However, this remains to be seen, and precedent shows that NBC is unafraid of cancelling various spinoffs. Below, see how long the previously cancelled spinoffs lasted and why they were axed:
| Show | Start | End | Duration | Reported Reason for Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | 2001 | 2011 | 10 seasons | Budget |
| Law & Order: Trial by Jury | 2005 | 2006 | 1 season | Scheduling issues |
| Law & Order: LA | 2010 | 2011 | 1 season | Low ratings/Production issues |
| Law & Order: True Crime | 2017 | 2017 | 1 season | Indefinite hiatus |
One point in favor of the Organized Crime spinoff is the fact that only one Law & Order show that lasted more than one season has ever been cancelled. NBC has also already proven that a trio of Dick Wolf shows leading into one another isn’t an impossible ratings goal, as the One Chicago trio has already been renewed. However, OC may be hampered by its more serialized storyline, which prevents viewers who missed previous episodes from picking up the details as easily as the flagship show and SVU.
Even if the franchise loses Organized Crime, the characters from that show could still continue to appear in the wider universe. The show featured frequent Law & Order crossovers, especially so that Stabler’s Special Victims Unit romantic storyline with Benson could be rekindled. Should the show be cancelled after four seasons and Meloni be interested in staying with the franchise, it seems entirely possible that the pair could finally be reunited in the main cast of the other spinoff.