On September 13, 1990, the longest-running law-enforcement series in American television, Law & Order, made its official debut on NBC.
Law & Order was set and filmed in New York. Episodes were divided into two parts: the first half hour covered the investigation of a crime, while the second covered the defendant being prosecuted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Most cases were based on real crimes, but the details were entirely fictional. Each episode opens with a narrator stating: “In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories.”
The series had many cast changes during its long run; main cast members included Jerry Orbach, Sam Waterston, Chris Noth, and Jill Hennessy. The series also featured guest stars such as Julia Roberts and Samuel L. Jackson, as well as New York politicians like Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The series also spawned a television film and video games, and it was adapted internationally.
In 2010, NBC canceled Law & Order, as they wanted creator Dick Wolf to accept a reduced license fee for a 21st season, but last-minute financial negotiations broke down when terms could not be reached.
After the cancellation, Wolf was really angry and disappointed: “It was a political cancellation. It shouldn’t have gone off the air when it did,” he said.
In 2021, Wolf Entertainment announced that Law & Order would return to NBC for Season 21. “It will continue where the show left off in 2010” they said.
The most recent season, season 25, aired from September 25, 2025, to May 14, 2026.
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