Mariska Hargitay’s Law & Order: SVU is coming back next fall for its 28th season, extending NBC’s longest-running primetime drama on broadcast after a renewal that had already been in place behind the scenes. The second year of the network’s two-season pickup had not been made public until now.
The move keeps Hargitay at the center of a franchise that remains one of NBC’s most reliable performers. The show has its best season on Peacock, up 27% from last season, and it is NBC’s most watched next-day series as well as the network’s top drama among adults 18-49 in multi-platform viewing.
NBC announced the two-season renewal for SVU last May, so this is less a fresh rescue than a confirmation of a deal that was already set. Michele Fazekas, who joined last season as SVU’s first female showrunner, is expected to continue in the role as the series moves into another year.
The timing matters because NBC has not yet settled every part of its drama slate. The network left Law & Order on the bubble after renewing the three Chicago series, and The Hunting Party and Brilliant Minds are also still waiting for word. Law & Order is in its 25th season, a reminder that NBC is still deciding how far it wants to lean on long-running franchises versus newer titles.
NBC is slated to present its 2026-27 schedule on May 11, and that makes the coming weeks the last real window for the remaining bubble shows. For SVU, the answer is already clear: Mariska Hargitay is staying put, and the series will keep its place as one of broadcast TV’s most durable dramas.
