CRIMES and mysterious cases are at the center of long-running fan favorite Law & Order.
The TV drama has kept its viewers tuned in for over 30 years.
GettyMarisa Hargitay (pictured center) and Ice-T (far right) lead the Law & Order: SVU cast[/caption]
How long has Law & Order been on TV?
On September 13, 1990, Law & Order premiered its first season.
Since then, the series has grown into a franchise that has resulted in six additional spinoffs.
The six spinoffs that make up the Law & Order universe include:
Law & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Criminal IntentLaw & Order: Trial by JuryLaw & Order: LALaw & Order: True CrimeLaw & Order: Organized Crime
The franchise was created by famed TV producer Dick Wolf.
Before NBC ordered the program’s first pilot, the show was shopped to FOX and CBS.
Originally, it was the latter network that ordered Law & Order’s first season.
Ultimately, FOX rescinded their plans to produce the series because it didn’t fit with the network’s programming direction.
CBS also produced a pilot of the show but it was not picked up.
Which Law & Order actor has been on the show the longest?
Law & Order has made stars out of its number of cast members; including Mariska Hargitay, who has been with the franchise the longest.
Mariska achieved her career breakthrough when she was cast in Law & Order: SVU.
As lead character Olivia Benson, Mariska has appeared in over 540 episodes.
GettyOriginal Law & Order cast from left to right: Richard Brooks, George Dzundza, Chris Noth, and Michael Moriarty[/caption]
She is also one of the leads of the franchise’s seventh spinoff Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Ice-T is the second-longest tenured actor in Law & Order.
Ranking behind Mariska and Ice-T are Dann Florek, Sam Waterson, and S Epatha Merkerson.
When was Law & Order renewed?
Following the conclusion of its 20th season, the first Law & Order went on hiatus for 12 years.
During the program’s hiatus, reruns of the previous editions ran in syndication.
On February 24, 2022, the original series finally returned with its 21st season.
Sam Waterston and Anthony Anderson re-established their respective characters while newcomers such as Camryn Manheim, Hugh Dancy, and Jeffrey Donovan rounded out the cast.
