It looks like Thursdays this fall are going to be returning to routine for fans of Law & Order! Yes, it'll be a full night of Law & Order drama.
From 2021 to 2024, Thursdays were Law & Order night for NBC. It began in 2021 with the long-awaited reveal of the mothership Law & Order series, followed by the long-running Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and then Law & Order: Organized Crime.
It was an easy way for NBC to group the shows together, just like Wednesdays being about the One Chicago shows. That changed in 2024 when NBC decided to move Law & Order: Organized Crime season 5 to become an exclusive series for Peacock.
When NBC first announced their 2025 fall schedule, the plan was for Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU to remain on Thursdays and be joined by The Hunting Party season 2. But a big shift has changed things up!
Why are we getting Law & Order on Thursdays again?
NBC just announced its fall 2025 premiere dates, which reveal that Law & Order season 25 and Law & Order: SVU season 27 will both premiere on Thursday, Sept. 25.
However, rather than The Hunting Party season 2, viewers will see the fifth season of Law & Order: Organized Crime. Given that it was only 10 episodes long, it seems this will only be for a fall run.
It’s a bit surprising that NBC aired the season (it had already aired the first episode as part of an event in April 2025) after it was already available on Peacock. This follows a trend of networks airing shows that had been on streamers as a way to increase their visibility. As much as NBCUniversal wishes otherwise, not everyone who watches NBC also pays for Peacock.
The fifth season does have changes for the show, such as the departure of Jet Slootemakers (Ainsley Seiger) early in the season. There are short story arcs of the team taking on various criminal groups, with the long-ranging story arc of Stabler (Christopher Meloni) worried about his younger brother going undercover working for a mobster, which leads to a dark ending.
The show will no doubt be an edited version as the Peacock airings took advantage of streaming for more adult content in cursing and violence and slightly longer episodes. NBC will have to edit that down for a broadcast version, which is also common for such streaming to network airings.
So far, Law & Order: Organized Crime season 6 has not been ordered, leaving its fate up in the air. NBC undoubtedly hopes that airing season 5 on the network will attract more viewers to subscribe to Peacock, allowing the show to continue and potentially earn a sixth season renewal, potentially moving it back to NBC full-time. It also helps promote Thursdays as all about Law & Order.
So fans can look forward to Law & Order once more dominating Thursdays as an NBC tradition!
Law & Order Thursdays returns on Thursday, Sept. 25, starting with Law & Order season 25 at 8/7c on NBC.
Stay tuned to Precinct TV for news and updates.