Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 is officially happening. NBC has announced the episode count for this new season. Is it bad news for the future?
NBC brought us the great news that all six Dick Wolf shows have been renewed. This arguably isn’t that surprising considering all six shows are among the most-watched shows on the network.
While announcing the news about Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4, NBC also confirmed the episode count. This could be viewed as bad news, but it could also be a sign of how the TV landscape is changing.
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 episode count
NBC confirmed there will be 13 episodes to the season. The other two Law & Order shows are set to get the full 22-episode seasons, so it will make fans worried about the Chris Meloni-led drama.
It is possible that the first season was simply a better way of doing the storyline for this series. With 13 episodes, the storyline can be contained to one big case instead of having to add filler content or switch the cases partway through to keep things interesting.
It is also possible that Meloni wanted to do 13 episodes instead of the full season. The 22-episode season is draining for a lot of actors and not all want to do it. It’s why we see a lot of actors opting for the streaming shows that only run for eight to 10 episodes.
NBC may also be looking at a way to save money on shows. Broadcast show costs are going up considerably, and the best way to keep the shows on the air but the budget down is to reduce the episode counts.
What does this mean for when Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 will premiere? We may see it held for the midseason, breaking the Thursday night block on NBC. We could also see it premiere in the fall and then only run for a short while in 2024. We’ll know more at the May Upfronts when NBC announces its fall schedule.
Law & Order: Organized Crime currently airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC. Catch up the following day on Peacock.