Breaking News: Inside the One Chicago and ‘Law & Order’ Franchises Amidst SAG and WGA Strikes

Art Streiber/NBC

NBC’s beloved One Chicago and Law & Order franchises were not spared during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

On Wednesday, July 19, the network made an announcement that the new seasons of Dick Wolf's popular shows - Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago P.D. - have been postponed from airing in the fall lineup. The picketing also impacted Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order. However, Law & Order: Organized Crime, which was always planned as a midseason return, remains unaffected for now.

The One Chicago shows traditionally air consecutively on NBC Wednesdays, starting in September. As for the Law & Order programs, they were initially scheduled to premiere on Thursdays this fall, but both franchises did not produce new episodes due to the ongoing strikes among writers and actors.

Starting in October, past seasons will be replaced by reruns from 8 to 9 p.m. ET/PT on their respective nights. Magnum P.I. (the final season) and Transplant were initially planned for midseason premieres but have now been rescheduled for the fall. Magnum P.I. will join Quantum Leap on Wednesdays for its second season in October, while Transplant's third season will be scheduled for Thursdays during the same month.

The Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) strike, starting in May, and the SAG-AFTRA picketing, which began this month, are impacting not only The One Chicago and Law & Order series. While some shows were able to continue filming with completed scripts that were modified in July, the situation became more complex when SAG-AFTRA protested against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for fair wages and improved residuals from streaming platforms.

Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson, Christopher Meloni as Det. Elliot Stabler, in ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’. Peter Kramer/NBC

Despite the SAG strike rules that have halted the majority of projects this month, a few exceptions have emerged. House of Dragon, for instance, continues its filming in the U.K., benefiting from a cast mostly comprised of local actors. Being affiliated with a different union named Equity, the U.K. actors have been advised to proceed with the production as scheduled. Interestingly, Equity has instructed its members not to participate in picketing activities in support of their American counterparts.

Prior to the U.S. strikes, LaRoyce Hawkins, known for his role on Chicago P.D., expressed his eagerness to return to work for season 11. In June, the 35-year-old actor disclosed that the One Chicago stars share a strong bond like a family, despite a friendly rivalry between the shows.

Hawkins, who portrays Kevin Atwater on P.D., playfully teased Chicago Med for their preference of remaining indoors in their comfortable scrubs, contrasting with the more intense atmosphere of the Fire team.

Scroll down to see NBC’s current fall 2023/2024 lineup — with both original episodes and reruns — as the strike continues:

Monday, September 25

8-10 p.m. – The Voice (Original)

10-11 p.m. – The Irrational (Original)

Tuesday, September 26

8-9 p.m. – The Voice (Original)

9-11 p.m. – America’s Got Talent (Performance finale)

Wednesday, September 27

8-9 p.m. – America’s Got Talent (Rerun)

9-11 p.m. – America’s Got Talent (Season finale)

Thursday, September 28

8-10 p.m. – 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards

10-11 p.m. – The Irrational (Rerun)

Friday, September 29

9-11 p.m. – Dateline NBC (Original)

Tuesday, October 3

8-10 p.m. – The Voice (Original)

10-11 p.m. – Found (Original)

Wednesday, October 4

8-9 p.m. – One Chicago dramas (Rerun)

9-10 p.m. – Quantum Leap (Original)

10-11 p.m. – Magnum, P.I. (Original)

Thursday, October 5

8-9 p.m. – Law & Order dramas (Rerun)

9-10 p.m. – Transplant (Original)

10-11 p.m. – Dateline NBC (Original)

Friday, November 3

8-9 p.m. – The Wall (Original)