Law & Order Fans Just Got A Double Dose Of Good News

NBC made an interesting move when it brought back "Law & Order" in September 2021, over a decade after the same network canceled the long-running police procedural (via TV Line). NBC originally canceled the original "Law & Order" series in May 2010 as its 20th season wrapped, replacing the series with a spin-off called "Law & Order: Los Angeles" (via The New York Times). The West Coast-based replacement lasted only one season, and while other cable networks like AMC reportedly considered picking up the original "Law & Order" series after its cancellation, nothing came of those talks, resulting in 10 years without the original Wolf Entertainment show (via Vulture).

While "Law & Order" was off the air for a decade, its spinoff "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" picked up the slack. "SVU" eventually surpassed the original show — and every other TV show ever — as television's longest-running primetime live-action series in 2019 (via The AV Club). The 21st season of "Law and Order" brought the series to second place on that list in terms of seasons aired, though its episode total still stands behind "Gunsmoke" (via PopSugar).

"Law & Order" may still yet have a chance to surpass "Gunsmoke" and catch up to its own spinoff, given the most recent news concerning the future of the franchise.

NBC's gamble in bringing back the once-dead "Law & Order" has seemingly paid off, as the network has now renewed the series for Season 22 (per Variety). The network has also reportedly greenlit the show's spinoff "Law & Order: Organized Crime" for a third season, doubling down on the Dick Wolf-helmed police procedural franchise. The series' renewal means that NBC will continue to have three "Law & Order" shows running at the same time — "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" expects to wrap Season 23 in May 2022.

Season 21 of "Law & Order" consists of 10 episodes, and was able to pick up right where the series left off when NBC canceled it in 2010. It brought back series stars Sam Waterston, who plays Jack McKoy from Season 5 onward, as well as Anthony Anderson, who joins the show as detective Kevin Bernard in Season 18 (via IMDb). "Law & Order: Organized Crime," meanwhile, stars Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler, who also stars as the principal lead of "SVU" for its first 12 seasons.

Season 21 of "Law & Order" received interesting reception. 77% of the critics who reviewed the 10-episode season for Rotten Tomatoes reported enjoying the series revival, but just 29% of the fans who reviewed the series held a positive view of the show. "Law & Order: Organized Crime" Season 2 has no critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes, but 92% of the users who rated the series reported enjoying it.