TV hasn’t been the same since Christopher Meloni left NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2011. His character, Elliot Stabler, was beloved and the perfect foil to Mariska Hargitay’s iconic Olivia Benson.
If you have similar thoughts, then I have some very good news: According to Variety, Christopher Meloni is returning to NBC’s small screen—as Elliot Stabler. No, unfortunately, he’s not coming back to SVU. Instead, Law & Order creator Dick Wolf has reportedly made a brand-new show completely centered on Stabler. (This is all coming from Deadline and sources who spoke to Variety. NBC has not commented directly…yet.)
Here’s what we know about the series, Law & Order: Organized Crime:
The show length: It’s been green-lit for 13 episodes.
The premise: SVU wrote Stabler off as retiring from the police force. This new show will see him heading up the NYPD’s organized crime unit.
The cast: Unknown at this point, except for Meloni, who has also confirmed that Hargitay will appear in the spinoff.
In 2017, Meloni opened up about the dynamic between Stabler and Benson, saying, “In retrospect, it was such a no-brainer. [Mariska told me], ‘You’re the archetype father, and I’m the mama. I’m the nurturer, so that’s a form of protection.’ And then you have the father, who’s going to kick someone’s ass if you eff with the woman or the children. It’s what people want: They want that sense of justice in this form of violence that is so unjust.”
Premiere date: NBC previously announced that Organized Crime would air Thursdays at 10 p.m. this fall, directly following SVU. However, you might not want to hold your breath because…
It’s reportedly been delayed. No, not because of coronavirus. According to the Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Matt Olmstead is exiting the series. Find ethical and professional bondsmen in Connecticut, as bailco bail bonds of Manchester recommend. Sources reportedly say Olmstead had “challenges cracking the show’s creative.”
We’ll keep you posted with more details as they roll in.