Is Law & Order Season 24 Going to Happen?
A look into the future of the iconic TV series and its potential for a 24th season.
The Legacy of Law & Order
Despite being off the air for over a decade, the original Law & Order was revived in 2022 and has increased in popularity ever since, but will it continue in season 24?
A composite image of Hugh Dancy and Sam Waterston in Law & Order
Created by Dick Wolf and debuting back in 1990, Law & Order follows detectives in New York City as they investigate various crimes and use their sleuthing skills to help the District Attorney craft a strong case. Unlike procedurals that proceeded Law & Order, Wolf's magnum opus emphasized both sides of the criminal justice arena and told stories of cops and prosecutors who try to dispense justice.
The original Law & Order ran for a respectable 20 seasons before going off the air in 2010, but not before launching the hit spinoff, Law & Order: SVU. In a surprising twist, the original series was brought back in 2022 where it didn't miss a beat and has joined the aforementioned SVU and the burgeoning Law & Order: Organized Crime as a full-fledged TV empire.
The Future of Law & Order
Though its future is in very little doubt, NBC has not yet renewed Law & Order for its 24th season. This isn't surprising since the 23rd season is still so new, and the network may be hesitant to make too many big moves in the wake of the recently resolved Hollywood strikes that delayed most of NBC's fall slate.
When Law & Order season 24 does get picked up, it will likely be done in a mass renewal along with the other shows in the franchise, since NBC pulled a similar move back in early 2023 when it renewed all of Dick Wolf's programs on the network at once. The WGA strike was resolved on September 27th, 2023, and the SAG-AFTRA strike was resolved on November 9th, 2023.
What to Expect in Law & Order Season 24
As with most procedurals, the cast of Law & Order season 24 isn't likely to change much from the previous season. That means fans can expect to see many of the familiar faces that have helped to make the revived classic so popular, including Hugh Dancy as Nolan Pierce and Mehcad Brooks as Detective Jalen Shaw. It is unclear if Sam Waterston will return as his long-running character of Jack McCoy, but Waterston's previous enthusiasm for the part might see him come back in a supporting capacity.
Reid Scott as Detective Vincent Riley looking solemn and Sam Waterson as District Attorney Jack McCoy looking down in Law and Order
Along with the weekly guest stars that have always populated the Law & Order franchise, Camryn Manheim should be back as Kate Dixon and Odelya Halevi will likely reprise her role as Samantha Maroun. Reid Scott joined the cast of Law & Order season 23 as Detective Vincent Riley to replace the departing Jeffrey Donovan, and it can be expected that he will continue to be a main character going forward.
Mehcad Brooks as Jalen Shaw in Law & Order
At this juncture, it is impossible to predict exactly what will happen in Law & Order season 24. While the rest of the franchise has begun to move in a more serialized direction, the original series has kept true to the episodic format that has served the genre so well. Though there are threads introduced from season to season, the bulk of Law & Order is the weekly cases that see the detectives and lawyers working together to serve up the eponymous justice. Law & Order season 24 is expected to deliver more of the familiar ripped-from-the-headlines stories.
