Law & Order: SVU Reveals New Showrunner for Season 24

Law & Order: SVU will have a new showrunner for its upcoming 24th season after Warren Leight stepped down with the end of season 23. Leight served as showrunner across eight years in total, and now NBC has revealed that Coyote co-creator and executive producer David Graziano will be stepping into that position (via Deadline). Series stars Mariska Hargitay, Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, and Octavio Pisano are all returning for season 24, and it would seem likely that the new season would also feature a crossover event with Law & Order: Organized Crime, but we’ll have wait and see.

SVU will be executive produced by Graziano, Dick Wolf, Julie Martin, Hargitay, Norberto Barba, Ken Brown, Arthur Forney, and Peter Jankowski, and produced by Universal Television in association with Wolf Entertainment. Graziano’s previous work includes In Plain Sight, Lie to Me, Southland, and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. His most recent work Coyote debuted on Paramount Plus, and he has a project titled Salvage in development at Sony Pictures TV.

Leight revealed he was stepping down at the conclusion of season 23, sharing thoughts on the final day of shooting and thanking all of the creators and crew he’s worked with over the past few years during this second stint as Showrunner. Leight wrote “The final day of shooting is always bittersweet. Today was a little more than that. As some of you have already figured out, I am stepping down at the end of #SVU23. The last two years of show running during a pandemic have been arduous, and I’ve decided to take a break. It’s a privilege to work on #SVU, to write for @Mariska, @FINALLEVEL, @KelliGiddish, @PeterScanavino, @octaviopisano and all the former regulars and guest stars who come to our stage. It’s a joy to write with everyone @SVUWritersRoom, I’m especially grateful to @JulieMartinNY.

And our on-set writer/producers @ItsAlwaysBreezy, @svubrendan and Bryan Goluboff. Speaking of producers, @Orsonb63, @ciliento and Ken Brown are the best in the business. Norberto somehow directed 5 eps this season, while shepherding 7 new-to-SVU directors thru their shoots. At least once a week this year a brick came thru the window. This person quarantined, that location lost, another show fell behind and our guest star was no longer available. Each time casting, camera, design, wardrobe, locations, h/mu, props, drivers came up with a save.

And when they didn’t, our editing room, led by the indefatigable genius, Arthur Forney did. Somehow the obstacles pulled us all closer together. The episodes stayed on track and seemed to get stronger the longer the season went on. It was an honor to work with this team, and I thank Dick Wolf, Peter Jankowski, @WolfEnt, and Lisa Katz, Pearlena Igbokwe, Erin Underhill and @NBCUniversal for their support and that privilege.

Finally, I’d like to thank the fans. You’ve stayed loyal to the show, and vocal in your support and occasional dismay, for 23 years. No other show can say that, and so you know, EVERYBODY at #SVU is grateful to you for that commitment. You too are part of this team.”

Are you excited for Law & Order: SVU season 24? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things Law & Order with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!