Law & Order Fan-Favorite Already Back to Work on New Season

Just two months after it was revealed that NBC had renewed Law & Order: Organized Crime for a second season, series star Christopher Meloni has taken to social media to show that work on the next batch of episodes has started! The new Elliot Stabler-focused series was originally expected to only be a one-season thing, specifically marketed around the return of Meloni, his character, and reuniting him with Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson in an SVU crossover. Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime air back-to-back on NBC with both shows already scheduled to premiere their next seasons on Thursday, September 23.

“That was actually the most surprising aspect to the whole proceeding,” Meloni previously told TV Line about getting back into character. “You know, you’re presented with the idea. You mull it over, and you negotiate your terms, and you’re off and running…And then, all of a sudden, the day is there, and you go, ‘OK, well, what the hell? Let’s jump in.’ And it was seamless, and I was shocked. I was shocked. Didn’t think about it. It was funny. I mean, the most arduous journey for me was to push away all the hoopla, the buildup, anticipation and expectations. I finally had a nice chat with myself saying, ‘Please don’t do that. Just focus on the work, and everything will be fine.’ Sure enough, I did do that. I listened to myself.”

The second season of Law & Order: Organized Crime comes after another spin-off from executive producer Dick Wolf was given the axe by the network. Ten days before the renewal was revealed, NBC announced development on Law & Order: For the Defense, described as “an unbiased look inside a criminal defense firm….putting the lawyers under the microscope, along with the criminal justice system.” Earlier this month however it was confirmed that the show was no longer happening and that a different Law & Order was in development to premiere later.

The official description for Law & Order: Organized Crime reads:

“Christopher Meloni, reprising his role as Elliot Stabler, returns to the NYPD to battle organized crime after a devastating personal loss. However, the city and police department have changed dramatically in the decade he’s been away and he must adapt to a criminal justice system in the midst of its own moment of reckoning. Stabler will aim to find absolution and rebuild his life while leading a new elite task force that is taking apart the city’s most powerful criminal syndicates one by one.”

Both Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime air on NBC on Thursdays, and are available on Peacock and Hulu the following day.