History of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in Timeline

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a spin-off of the original Law & Order, is a police procedural drama focusing on the Special Victims Unit detectives in New York City. The series primarily follows Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and, initially, Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) as they investigate and prosecute sexually based offenses. Many episodes are inspired by real-life crimes that have garnered media coverage, adding a layer of realism to the fictional narratives. The show delves into the complexities of these cases, exploring the impact on victims and the challenges faced by law enforcement.

2000: Alexander and Pollan Emmy Nominations

In 2000, Jane Alexander and Tracy Pollan were nominated for the Emmy in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category.

2002: Plimpton Emmy Nomination

In 2002, Martha Plimpton was nominated in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category at the Emmy Awards.

2003: Barrie Emmy Nomination

In 2003, Barbara Barrie was nominated in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category at the Emmy Awards.

2004: Hargitay's Emmy Nomination

In 2004, Mariska Hargitay began a streak of eight consecutive years being nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emmy Award.

2005: Plummer and Lansbury Emmy Nominations

In 2005, Amanda Plummer won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, and Angela Lansbury was also nominated.

2005: Mariska Hargitay Wins Golden Globe

In 2005, Mariska Hargitay won a Golden Globe Award for her role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, having been nominated twice.

2006: Series on Syfy

In 2006, Law & Order: SVU briefly ran on Syfy.

2006: Hargitay and Meloni's Emmy Nominations

In 2006, Mariska Hargitay won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Christopher Meloni was also nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

2007: Harden and Caron Emmy Nominations

In 2007, Marcia Gay Harden was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, and Leslie Caron won the Emmy Award in the same category.

2007: Russian Adaptation Rights Purchased

In 2007, Studio 2B, a Russian production company, purchased the rights to create an adaptation of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for Russian television.

2008: Fox Obtains Rights

In 2008, Fox obtained rights to air Law & Order: SVU on Fox-owned TV stations.

2008: Robin Williams' Emmy Nomination

In 2008, Robin Williams was nominated in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series category at the Emmy Awards for his appearance on Law & Order: SVU.

September 23, 2009: Season 11 Premiere

On September 23, 2009, with the season eleven premiere, the series vacated its Tuesday 10 p.m. ET slot, moving to Wednesday nights at 9:00 p.m. ET on NBC, with CTV still airing SVU on Tuesdays at 10:00 in Canada.

2009: Burstyn, Blethyn, and Burnett Emmy Nominations

In 2009, Ellen Burstyn won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, and Brenda Blethyn and Carol Burnett were also nominated.

2009: Series Airs on Fox Stations

In the fall of 2009, Law & Order: SVU began airing on Fox-owned TV stations.

March 3, 2010: Time Slot Change

After the 2010 Winter Olympics on March 3, 2010, the time slot again changed to Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET.

May 2010: Meadowlands Parkway Scene

In May 2010, a scene was shot at the Meadowlands Parkway in Secaucus, New Jersey.

2010: Ann-Margret Emmy Nomination

In 2010, Ann-Margret won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.

2010: Law & Order: Division of Field Investigation Ends

In 2010, Law & Order: Division of Field Investigation aired on NTV until 2010.

January 12, 2011: Time Slot Change

On January 12, 2011, SVU moved back to 10:00 p.m. ET, where it stayed until the end of the 13th season.

January 2011: Law & Order: LA Pulled

In January 2011, Law & Order: LA was pulled from the network to be retooled.

Loading Video...

2011: Stabler Departs

In 2011, Christopher Meloni departed from Law & Order: SVU. He reprised his role as Elliot Stabler in a spin-off series.

2011: Production Moved to New York

In 2011, the production of Law & Order: SVU left New Jersey for New York after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie suspended tax credits for film and television production.

September 26, 2012: Time Slot Change

With season 14, on September 26, 2012, SVU moved back to 9:00 p.m. after a two-hour season premiere event.

2014: The A.V. Club Review

In 2014, Joshua Alston of The A.V. Club noted that Law & Order: SVU had become the most improved cop show on television.

2016: Facebook Popularity Study

In 2016, a New York Times study of the 50 TV shows with the most Facebook likes found that SVU's popularity was "atypical: generally slightly more popular in rural areas and the South, but largely restricted to the eastern half of the country. It is most popular in Albany, N.Y.; least in Colorado and Utah".

March 2019: Show Renewed for Season 21

In March 2019, it was announced that the show would return for season 21, making it the longest-running primetime American live-action series in television history.

March 29, 2019: Winchester's Departure

On March 29, 2019, Winchester's departure from the show after Season 20 was revealed. He also tweeted about it that day.

May 16, 2019: Season Finale Airs

On May 16, 2019, the season finale aired, and Winchester thanked the cast and crew on Twitter for the send-off.

March 31, 2020: Spin-off Series Announced

On March 31, 2020, NBC ordered an untitled spin-off series to launch in the 2020–21 television season, with Christopher Meloni reprising his role as Elliot Stabler.

October 6, 2020: Demore Barnes Promoted

On October 6, 2020, Demore Barnes, who played Deputy Chief Christian Garland and recurred in season 21, was upgraded to regular status for season 22.

2020: Aimé Donna Kelly Joins as Recurring Character

In 2020, Aimé Donna Kelly joined the series in the recurring role of Captain Renee Curry.

April 1, 2021: Spin-off Series Premieres

On April 1, 2021, the spin-off series premiered on NBC in a two-hour crossover event with Law & Order: SVU.

September 3, 2021: Hyder and Barnes Depart

On September 3, 2021, it was announced that Jamie Gray Hyder and Demore Barnes would both leave the series following the two-hour season 23 premiere.

October 13, 2021: Octavio Pisano Promoted

On October 13, 2021, Octavio Pisano, who had been guest starring since the start of the season, was promoted to regular status.

August 24, 2022: Kelli Giddish's Exit Announced

On August 24, 2022, it was announced that Kelli Giddish would leave the series during the first half of season 24, with episode nine being her last appearance as a regular.

November 10, 2022: Molly Burnett Promoted

On November 10, 2022, Molly Burnett, who initially appeared in a recurring capacity for the first six episodes, was promoted to series regular beginning with the seventh episode.

May 19, 2023: Burnett's Departure Announced

On May 19, 2023, Molly Burnett announced that she would leave at the end of the show's twenty-fourth season.

November 28, 2023: Giddish Returns

On November 28, 2023, it was announced that Kelli Giddish would return for the twenty-fifth-season premiere.

2023: Variety's 100 Greatest TV Shows Ranking

In 2023, Law & Order: SVU ranked No. 56 in Variety's 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. Daniel D'Addario highlighted the show's impact on redefining police dramas by focusing on sex crimes and giving voice to sexual assault survivors.

2023: Filming Coincides with Trump Trial

In 2023, filming near the courthouses at Foley Square coincided with media attention on the trial related to the prosecution of Donald Trump in New York.

January 2024: Series Reruns on USA, Ion, and MyNetworkTV

As of January 2024, Law & Order: SVU is rerun on NBCUniversal network USA, as well as on Ion Television and MyNetworkTV stations.

April 25, 2024: Spin-off Series Renewed and Moved to Peacock

On April 25, 2024, the Law & Order: Organized Crime series was renewed for a fifth season and would move to Peacock.

July 22, 2024: Kevin Kane Promoted

On July 22, 2024, it was reported Kevin Kane, who portrays Terry Bruno, would be promoted to a series regular for the show's twenty-sixth season, after recurring the previous two seasons.

August 7, 2024: Juliana Aidén Martinez Joins Cast

On August 7, 2024, it was announced that Juliana Aidén Martinez, who would portray Kate Silva, was added as a series regular ahead of the season premiere.

2024: Fan Incident During Filming

During external filming in Fort Tryon Park in 2024, it was reported that a young girl looking for her mother mistook Mariska Hargitay for a real police officer.

2024: Seasons Return to Netflix

In 2024, selected seasons of Law & Order: SVU returned to Netflix in certain regions including the UK, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.

April 17, 2025: Season 5 Premieres

On April 17, 2025, the fifth season of the spin-off premiered its first two episodes on Peacock, with the first episode also having a special airing on NBC.

May 6, 2025: Martinez and Pisano to Depart

On May 6, 2025, it was announced that Juliana Aidén Martinez and Octavio Pisano would depart following the conclusion of the twenty-sixth season.

July 18, 2025: Aimé Donna Kelly Promoted

On July 18, 2025, it was announced that Aimé Donna Kelly, who played Captain Renee Curry in a recurring role, had been upgraded to series regular ahead of the twenty-seventh season.