As we inch closer to the Upfronts, the final broadcast cancellation and renewal decisions are being made. For Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU, the news is good. Both shows have been renewed for the 25th and 27th seasons respectively.
It comes just off the back of the entire One Chicago franchise landing a renewal. The decisions weren’t all that surprising, but they took time due to the negotiation process. With the high costs of production and the lower linear ratings, the networks are having to look at budgets and figure out a way to keep the shows on the air. This means changes are coming.
Law & Order: SVU is already losing two cast members
Just ahead of the Law & Order: SVU season 27 renewal, Variety reported that two of the series regulars would be leaving. Octavio Pisano and Juliana Martinez are set to exit the series as this season comes to an end. Martinez had only just joined the series for season 26, and Pisano joined for season 23, so the decision to write both of them out is somewhat surprising.
However, it comes down to needing to cut costs. According to Deadline, SVU is one of the cheaper shows to run considering the fact that Mariska Hargitay is leading the series and it’s in its 26th season right now, and it won’t be as affected by the budget cuts. It’s possible that we won’t see two people come in to replace the two people gone, quickly reducing the costs that way.
Law & Order will see changes due to the budget
However, the flagship series, which returned a few years back after a 12-year break, will see some changes. There are still some deals to figure out, which could mean that some of the cast members will end up leaving the series.
Part of the negotiations will be about guaranteed minimums when it comes to the episodes they’ll be in. This is what’s going on with the One Chicago franchise, with most actors having an 18-20 minimum episode count.
At the same time, the two shows are likely to see a cut in the episode counts for the seasons. Chicago PD, along with the other two shows in the franchise, are likely being cut to around 18 to 20 episodes. That’s something we could see with both Law & Order and SVU to ensure the shows get to stay on the air for longer.
Law & Order and SVU air on Thursdays starting at 8/7c on NBC.
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