Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’s reach spans multiple generations, and the love for the show keeps on growing. The show premiered all the way back in 1999 and continues to be a hit for NBC in 2023 (and soon to be 2024). Fans have watched Mariska Hargitay’s Det. Olivia Benson solve countless cases and stare danger right in the eye to save innocent lives for nearly 3 decades.
NBC renewed Law & Order: SVU season 25 back in April 2023. The show experienced a months-long delay as Hollywood writers and actors fought for fair wages and more in new contracts with the studios. So, when is Law & Order: SVU coming back? Who is returning? Hollywood Life has gathered all the latest news about the milestone season.
‘Law & Order: SVU’ Season 25 Premiere Date
Law & Order: SVU season 25 will return to Thursday nights in 2024. The new season will premiere on January 18 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. Law & Order season 23 will air at 8 p.m. ET, and Law & Order: Organized Crime season 4 will follow SVU at 10 p.m. ET.
The Law & Order: SVU season 25 premiere date was pushed to 2024 due to the writers’ and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Once the writers’ strike ended in September 2023, the SVU writers’ room got back to work quickly. The SAG-AFTRA strike ended in November 2023 and filming began later that month.
Is Rollins Coming Back to ‘SVU’ for Season 25?
Yes, Det. Amanda Rollins will be returning in the season 25 premiere, TVLine first reported. This return will mark the second time Kelli Giddish has reprised her beloved role. After leaving the SVU in December 2022, Kelli returned for the season 24 finale.
It’s unknown how long Rollins will stick around SVU. The last time we saw Rollins, she was pregnant with her third child, her first with Carisi.
In November 2023, Kelli was back on set with Mariska. “Back with my lil boo thang,” Mariska captioned the adorable video.
Kelli originally left SVU halfway through season 24. However, the decision was not one she made herself. Variety reported that her exit was a “call made from above.” Mariska, the star and executive producer of SVU, pushed for Kelli to stay, but the decision didn’t change. A “compromise couldn’t be made” after conversations about “salary negotiations and her future on the show.”
‘Law & Order: SVU’ Season 25 Cast
Mariska Hargitay will be back as the one and only Olivia Benson in season 25. Mariska is the only cast member to have been a series regular since the show’s premiere in 1999.
She’ll be joined by longtime vets Ice-T as Fin and Peter Scanavino as Carisi. Octavio Pisano is expected to return as Velasco in season 25. Molly Burnett’s Muncy, who was a series regular in season 24, is not returning. At the end of last season, Muncy left to work for a special task force. It’s unclear if Kevin Kane is returning as Det. Terry Bruno.
Over the course of the milestone season, you can expect to see characters from Law & Order and Law & Order: Organized Crime pop up on SVU. This includes Christopher Meloni as the legendary Stabler.
How Long Will ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Last?
Law & Order: SVU continues to be a Thursday night staple for millions of viewers. NBC hasn’t announced any plans for SVU beyond season 25, nor has Mariska addressed her future with the iconic series. SVU has already made television history. With season 21, the show became the longest-running primetime live-action series on American television.
At the season 24 premiere, Mariska revealed her perfect ending for Benson. “I hope that she can get to a point where she feels like she’s done enough service and it’s time to rest and be and see the best that life has to offer because she’s spent so much time in the darkest of what life has to offer,” she told E! News. She added, “I think it would be sharing her life with someone and being able to focus totally on the joys of motherhood.”