'Law & Order: SVU': Back for '09-'10?
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That would be a yes, albeit with a possible catch. "Law & Order: SVU" -- NBC's most popular series not involving John Madden -- will be back for an 11th season in 2009-'10.
The news comes courtesy of EW.com, which reports that the show will indeed be back in the fall. The network says it's not commenting at the moment.
Even in NBC's Jay Leno-fied world next season, where the current "Tonight Show" host will have a prime-time talk show every weeknight at 10, it comes as little surprise that the network would renew "SVU." The show, which is averaging about 10.5 million viewers a week this season, is NBC's most-watched series aside from "Sunday Night Football."
Now, about that catch: EW also notes that while the show has been renewed, stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni haven't re-upped their contracts yet. Both actors are at the end of two-year deals that make them among the better-compensated stars on TV (a reported $300,000 plus per episode). Negotiations are underway with Hargitay and Meloni, who have been "SVU's" leads for all 10 seasons, a rarity in the "L&O" universe.
Hargitay recently returned to work after being sidelined for treatment of a partially collapsed lung. Her character, Detective Olivia Benson, was written out of one episode, but she'll be back for the remainder of the season.
A formal announcement on the future of "SVU" is expected in the next week or two, and NBC will officially unveil its 2009-10 lineup at its upfront on May 4-5. The network has already picked up new seasons of "The Office," "30 Rock" and "The Biggest Loser."
This is easily one of my favorite shows on TV, so I am glad it will be returning next season. They need to re-sign the stars though, the show would not be as good with Benson and Stabler.
but what about the original L&O?
No Chris, No Mariska, no Law and Order SVU for me....They are the show.
If the show is coming back in the fall and Jay Leno is going to at 10 all week then there are 3 ideas of what can happen.
1. have the show at 9 on tuesday
2. put the show on sat to try to revive the death slot
3. put the show on sunday to keep viewers watchin NBC all the way to midnight on east coast
Tuesday would be a problem since that is currently when NBC airs The Biggest Loser. Sa****ay or Sunday at 10PM would be good, I always watch the L&O re-runs that air Sa****ay nights.
NBC won't air a show from 11-12. Local affiliates get the time slot. Putting it on Sat nights at this point would be killing the show. Right now no show can survive. My local CBS station had PAID programming last Sat night- how sad is that? NBC will find a 8, but probably 9:00 time slot Sun-Fri (even Friday shows are having a tough time making it these days- only CBS's power line up seems to have any staying power).
Just have Liv and Elliott consumate their relationship and then kill the show.
I just hope they can find a way to convince Stephanie March to stay or if not find a better replacement that the ADA they had from One Tree Hill. She was awful and the show ground to a halt whenever she entered a scene!
Barb,
I feel the exact same way.
Law and Order: svu is one of my favorite shows and is the best show. So I really hope they officially announce SVU's renewal soon. And if Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni do not renew their contracts and not return, then forget it, I will not watch SVU anymore. Hargitay and Meloni are the show, they make the show. So they have got to return and become closer in terms of their relationship.