The Dick Wolf TV universe is comprised of an unprecedented nine shows spread across two networks, and the future looks bright. After FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and FBI: International got a double renewal from CBS back in 2022, NBC finally announced renewals for Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med. While it’s a mouthful to say them all in one sentence (and type them), a nine-show TV universe is more than a little impressive. With all of the renewals for the 2023-2024 TV season, it’s time to start looking ahead.
Members of the Law & Order and One Chicago corners of the franchise celebrated the renewals after the good news broke, nearly a year after the FBI renewals. Now, in light of what we know, what we don’t, and what stars have said to CinemaBlend over the course of the 2022-2023 TV season, we can ponder some big questions and start speculating. I'll get into all nine shows, but with the Law & Orders lasting the longest, let’s start there!
Why Are Law & Order And SVU Getting More Episodes Than Organized Crime?
While all three of the Law & Order shows were renewed, Variety reports that Organized Crime will only run for 13 episodes while L&O and SVU both received orders for 22. The same report states that all three will air in the fall, which would presumably mean OC ending its season much earlier than its sister series in 2024, and/or going on longer hiatuses. There’s no confirmation at the time of writing which cast members are expected to return to OC, although Chris Meloni seems like a very safe bet.
A Possible Explanation:
This isn’t the first time that Organized Crime received an order for a shorter season than the usual 20+ for the Wolf Entertainment franchise, as the first ran for only eight in 2021. It’s also worth noting that the third strayed away from doing just a couple of major arcs per season and became more procedural. With several changes of showrunner, I can imagine that OC might just be returning to its serialized roots and focusing on one or two arcs over the course of one shorter season.
What Does OC’s Shortened Season Mean For Stabler On SVU?
While Organized Crime and SVU both tell compelling stories on their own, is there any denying that a healthy portion of both fandoms are invested in the Benson/Stabler relationship, in some form or other? Even mini crossovers between Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni have been few and far between in the current Season 24 of SVU and Season 3 of OC, with one extremely notable exception. Which the actors nailed, even if it wasn’t everything that some Benson/Stabler fans were hoping for! So what does OC’s 13-episode Season 4 mean for SVU?
How Stabler Could Have An SVU Presence:
A lot likely depends on how much the production on SVU and OC overlaps, as it’s undoubtedly easier to send Chris Meloni over to his old stomping grounds if he’s filming his own spinoff not too far away. It’s worth noting that SVU showrunner David Graziano was also recruited to serve as OC showrunner for the final three episodes of the season, which I speculated at the time could mean closer ties between the two shows. At this point, we can only wonder and hope! After a season of Benson and Stabler rarely sharing scenes, I’d be happy with just some mentions at this point.
Can More Crossovers Happen Between The Nine Wolf Shows?
The 2022-2023 TV season has delivered two mega crossovers within the Wolf Entertainment franchise, with the Law & Order shows starting the season in the fall with a three-parter and the three FBIs recently teaming up for a case that pushed some limits and involved what one star considers an “unforgivable breach” of trust. One Chicago hasn’t delivered a three-parter since 2019 (prior to COVID shutdowns), although Chicago P.D. is responsible for the very first connection between One Chicago and the FBIs. Creating a cinematic TV event is no small endeavor.
What Cast Members Have Said About Crossovers:
In honor of the global crossover event between the FBIs, CinemaBlend spoke to actors Jeremy Sisto (Jubal Valentine) and John Boyd (Stuart Scola), and both addressed the challenges of making the three-parter that involved sending FBI’s Sisto to Italy for FBI: International. Sisto weighed in on the process of creating an event:
Listen, if we could make one of these every week I'm sure we would. Unfortunately it's extremely challenging, for so many reasons. Schedule-wise alone, but it really should feel like… you're watching exactly what the FBI is: a really well-structured, well-run organization that is assessing threats throughout the world and the danger they may have on American lives. It feels like this is how the show is supposed to be, even when it's not.
The actor (who is actually a Law & Order alum) went on to say that he thought that watching the three-parter would carry over into fans enjoying the shows even more in the future. John Boyd also was full of compliments for how the finished product “felt like one big movie” and was “so seamless,” but it wasn’t without complications. He said:
By the time I was shooting, I knew where it went, but you don't get three hours of TV sent to your doorstep in a special envelope. It's all collaborative and working and this needs to change, and that. You just don't tie yourself to anything until it's shot and cut and aired, because so much of it can change in the process, so I always read with a little bit of that in mind… I was having conversations with the showrunner that were like, 'Hey, we had this idea for this scene between Jubal and Scola. Just so you know when you shoot this, you know that's going to happen later and we're writing this.'
Over on the Law & Order side of the nine-show TV universe, two of the three shows that crossed over in the fall were more than twenty years into their runs. When I spoke with Hugh Dancy about the “terrible thing” that his character did in the latest episode of L&O, he shared his thoughts on the premiere crossover:
I just applaud them. Specifically with that crossover, I know how much work that took from everybody, and in particular the writers, to pull that off. That's a three hour story with all those characters woven together and you've got to have a bit of the elements that normally go into an SVU [episode] and Organized Crime and so on. And they've got to go on and make a whole season after that! So I really felt for them. The fact that they're still finding new things to do and bringing us all into play in different ways, I love it… I think they may be a victim of their own success, should we return anytime soon. I wouldn't be at all surprised if somebody asked them to do something similar again.
With the level of work that goes into any crossover, fans shouldn’t rule out any further events, but also not count on them happening on a regular basis. We should probably rule out any kind of nine-part event between all the shows unless the ties would be extremely tangential, though!
Will Any Stars Leave The Franchise?
Although the Law & Order and One Chicago shows have held on to stars for 10+ years and counting, there’s no guarantee that everybody will stick around. Chicago Med has lost and gained a number of characters over the past couple of seasons, while Chicago P.D. lost Jesse Lee Soffer back in the fall after Chicago Fire lost Jesse Spencer earlier in the year. (Taylor Kinney’s current leave of absence is expected to be temporary.) And that's not to mention SVU saying goodbye to Kelli Giddish’s Amanda Rollins! So, are all the departures from the past couple years going to be followed by more?
The Stars Share Why There’s No Guarantee Despite Renewal:
While early renewals are great news for fans, the guarantee that a show will be back doesn’t mean a guarantee that the whole cast will be back. With shows that regularly have life-or-death stakes and sometimes kill off characters, there are still reasons to be worried in finale season, and I'm more concerned about some potential departures than others. FBI’s John Boyd shared his perspective on getting a double-season renewal:
In my business, what I do when a show is renewed for two seasons, you remind yourself that the show has been renewed for two seasons. That does not mean that you have been, so you need to earn every minute you're on that screen. There's never any 'Oh great! The shows are gonna be on to two seasons, so this is more fun.' We just don't approach the work from that place. We approach it like, 'Let's see how big of a thing we can do. Is this gonna be possible?'... There's no resting on your laurels just because your show was renewed for two seasons at a time.
Jeremy Sisto echoed his co-star’s thoughts on not necessarily have job security as an actor even when the show is going to continue. He shared:
There's nothing secure about anything. [laughs] Especially a job as strange as acting. You always just feel this sense of like, 'Man, I'm so lucky that they're still paying me to do this. I feel like it could end at any time.' It's nice that it's clear that CBS really believes in the show, loves the show, and that is obviously a feeling of pride. But it's an ever-changing world of how people watch TV and... I try not to let myself feel comfortable.
On the whole, there’s no way to say with certainty at this point if any stars are leaving. If anybody is killed off, it will presumably happen or at least be set up in the finales in May. Then again, Jesse Lee Soffer’s departure from P.D. was announced during summer hiatus, so we won’t know for sure until the fall.
Are Any Former Stars Returning?
The good news for the Wolf Entertainment farewells over the past couple years is that only one of them involved a character being killed off. (Rest in peace, Chief Hawkins!) Jesse Lee Soffer’s Halstead did get a pretty definitive split from working as a CPD detective on P.D., and Kelli Giddish’s Rollins seemed happy to step away from her role as a cop on SVU, but the door is mostly open. Christiane Paul even already returned to FBI: International as a guest star. Plus, Jesse Spencer’s Casey originally left Chicago with the intention of returning in three years, and the clock is ticking on that after his recent return!
Why It’s Too Soon To Say:
At this point, we don’t even know if all the current Wolf Entertainment stars will return, let alone if any will be back! Jesse Spencer did say “I don’t think so” to the idea of a “long-term” return to Fire in a recent interview with TVLine, and Jesse Lee Soffer told CinemaBlend in March that a return as Jay Halstead is “not on the board right now.” He didn’t rule out returning in a different way, though! When asked what he thought of potentially directing Chicago Med as the 8 p.m. show after spending so much time on P.D. at 10 p.m. (and then directing his old series), Soffer shared:
Totally! 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. are very different. I wonder if I'd be trying to make it like a crime procedural [laughs], if I was directing Med… That's a good question!
Brian Tee also returned to Chicago Med to direct an episode of his former show earlier this season, so there are ways for departed cast members to work again in Wolf Entertainment without necessarily reprising their roles. It’s just a matter of time to see if any will be back, in front of or behind the camera!
Will The Nine Shows Celebrate Any Milestones?
With shows as long-running as those in the Law & Order, FBI, and One Chicago franchise, milestones tend to be inevitable. Depending on the new seasons' episode counts, the renewals should mean that SVU Season 25 will hit 550 episodes, Law & Order Season 23 will hit 500, Chicago Fire Season 12 will reach 250, and FBI: International Season 3 will reach 50. Organized Crime is approaching 50 as well, and FBI will hit 100 with its upcoming Season 5 finale. While these are all impressive totals to reach, will they actually be celebrated?
What Precedent Tells Us:
It seems safe to say that NBC will celebrate Law & Order reaching 500 episodes, after all the promotion for SVU reaching that same milestone, but I’m not quite so sure about the milestones ending in 50. Plus, Chicago P.D. hit 200 episodes earlier this year without too much fanfare. I wouldn’t be shocked if Fire reaching 250 is noted, but on the whole, my best best for a milestone that will be celebrated is L&O #500.
Is Wolf Entertainment Finished With Spinoffs?
The newest spinoff is FBI: International after its debut in fall 2021 (although L&O’s revival return happened later), and there’s no sign at this point that another entry in franchise is on the way. NBC and CBS have a good thing going with these series, and NBC already has two full nights of Wolf Entertainment action.
Why Nine Might Be The Lucky Number:
With the three sections of the Wolf Entertainment universe doing as well as they are, the franchise may not need to expand any further. It’s worth noting that the last time there was an attempt at adding a fourth show on another night of primetime was Chicago Justice, which lasted just one season in 2017.
For now, you can revisit past episodes of all nine shows streaming via a Paramount+ subscription and/or a Peacock Premium subscription, as well as catch new episodes with the FBIs airing on CBS Tuesdays starting at 8 p.m. ET, One Chicago airing on NBC Wednesdays starting at 8 p.m. ET, and the Law & Orders on NBC Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.
