Elliot Stabler’s story is ending on NBC… but the story is not over.
Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 has secured an official renewal for the 2024-2025 season, but the Christopher Meloni-fronted drama will move to Peacock.
The decision means that Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler are being split up again. Due to their shows being under the NBCUniversal window, Meloni and Hargitay will probably continue to crossover between both shows.
Law & Order: Organized Crime has consistently lagged behind Law & Order: SVU and the original Law & Order on Thursdays, but that can be attributed to the later 10/9c timeslot.
The series has always been available the next day on Peacock, so there’s a good chance it has been attracting healthy viewership on the streaming platform given that the show has earned a renewal.
Unlike the other two Law & Orders on NBC, Organized Crime has adopted a more serialized approach, with storylines typically spanning the entire season.
Could Law & Order: Organized Crime change its rollout strategy on Peacock?
Serialized shows are best served binged, so the rollout strategy could be changed as Law & Order: Organized Crime embraces its new streaming home with more episodes released at once.
Peacock has ordered 10 episodes of Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5, the shortest order since 2021.
Due to budgetary constraints, streaming shows have fewer episodes than their broadcast counterparts.
Law & Order: Organized Crime could benefit from shorter episode orders because the show has suffered from shaky writing at several points throughout its first four seasons.
Law & Order: Organized Crime has had a storied history on NBC
Despite its relatively short time on the air, the series has had countless showrunners, premiering on NBC in 2021.
NBC’s decision to nix one of the Law & Orders means it will have an opening at 10/9c on the fall schedule to help launch a new drama or to help Found or The Irrational if the sophomore dramas are set to return in the fall.
It remains to be seen if the network plans to continue having three-show Law & Order crossovers. Kicking off a storyline and continuing it in a spin-off that fans without Peacock cannot watch would be a bit of a tough sell.
All we can do is await word on what will happen from NBC and Peacock.
Law & Order: Organized Crime currently airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC. Stream Seasons 1-4 on Peacock.