Law & Order
| Law & Order | |
|---|---|
The typeface used in the series title card, Friz Quadrata, is used in the identifying sign of 1 Police Plaza, headquarters of the NYPD | |
| Genre |
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| Created by | Dick Wolf |
| Showrunners |
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| Starring |
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| Theme music composer | Mike Post |
| Opening theme | "Theme of Law & Order" |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 24 |
| No. of episodes | 523 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 40–48 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | September 13, 1990 – May 24, 2010 |
| Release | February 24, 2022 – present |
| Related | |
| Law & Order (franchise) | |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the Law & Order franchise.[1]
Law & Order aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on September 13, 1990, and completing its 20th season on May 24, 2010.[2][3][4] On September 28, 2021, after an 11-year hiatus, NBC announced that the series would be revived for a 21st season, which premiered on February 24, 2022. The revival saw the debut of new regular cast members, and the reprise of two roles by series veterans: District Attorney Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston), and Detective Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson).[5][6][7] Afterwards, the series was renewed for three additional seasons.[8][9][10][11][12] In May 2025, it was announced the series had been renewed for its twenty-fifth season.
Set and filmed in New York City, the series follows a two-part approach: the first half hour is the investigation of a crime (usually murder) and apprehension of a suspect by New York City Police Department homicide detectives, while the second half is the prosecution of the defendant by the Manhattan district attorney's office. Plots are based on real cases that recently made headlines, although the motivation for the crime and the perpetrator may be much different.
The show started using revolving door casting in season two. The progression of the record for longest serving main cast members of the series is: Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe, S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren and Sam Waterston as Executive Assistant District Attorney/District Attorney Jack McCoy.
Law & Order's 24 seasons are second only to its spin off Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–present) for the longest-running live action scripted American primetime series. The success of the series has led to the creation of additional shows, making Law & Order a franchise, including a television film, several video games, and international adaptations of the series. It has won and has been nominated for numerous awards over the years, including a number of Primetime Emmy Awards.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "Law & Order". Wolf Entertainment. September 20, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2025.
- ^ Stelter, Brian; Carter, Bill (May 14, 2010). "One 'Law & Order' Gets a Death Sentence, as Another Joins the Force". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 16, 2010. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ Stelter, Brian; Carter, Bill (May 14, 2010). "NBC Cancels 'Law & Order'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 16, 2010. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ "NBC announces pickups for new drama 'LOLA' ('Law & Order: Los Angeles') and returning 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' and 'Law & Order' ends its historic run on NBC May 24" (Press release). NBC Universal. May 14, 2010. Archived from the original on July 17, 2010. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ Alexander, Bryan (February 24, 2022). "'Law & Order' returns: Sam Waterston on what to expect, and losing coveted TV record to 'SVU'". USA Today. McLean VA: Gannett. ISSN 0734-7456. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (September 28, 2021). "Law & Order: NBC Revives Original Flagship Series, Orders Season 21 a Decade After Abrupt Cancellation". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Revival Premiere Datewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Pedersen, Erik (June 29, 2022). "NBC Sets Fall Premiere Dates: New 'Quantum Leap' & 'Lopez Vs. Lopez', Returnof 'Chicago' & 'Law & Order' Shows, More". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
- ^ Mitovitch, Matt Webb (June 29, 2022). "NBC Sets Fall Premiere Dates: La Brea, #OneChicago, Quantum Leap Reboot, Law & Order Trio, The Voice and More". TVLine. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 20, 2023). "NBC Sets Midseason 2024 Premiere Dates". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ "How to watch the season premiere of 'Law & Order' tonight (10/3/24) with a FREE live stream". Penn Live. October 3, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Schneider, Michael (March 21, 2024). "Law & Order: SVU' Renewed for Season 26; NBC Also Orders New Seasons of 'One Chicago,' 'Law & Order'". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2024.