It’s a big day for NBC’s so-called Dick Wolf Universe.
The network has ordered new seasons of all three shows in the One Chicago franchise: Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago PD.
Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU have also been renewed, but today’s news is a mixed bag for NBC’s longest-running interconnected shows:
There’s been no decision yet on Law & Order: Organized Crime, whose status is “still under discussion,” an NBC source tells The Hollywood Reporter.
Today’s announcement sets the path for a 26th season of SVU, cementing the show’s place as the longest-running primetime drama in American TV history.
The OG Law & Order series is in the midst of a reset following the departure of Sam Waterston, who began playing Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy way back in 1994.
Organized Crime is the newest entry in the L&O universe, and currently, there’s no telling if it’ll be back for a fifth season following the 13-episode slate that began in January and is currently airing.
More serialized than the other L&O shows, Organized Crime generated big buzz when it debuted, largely for the return of Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliott Stabler, a role he played on SVU for 12 seasons.
But if today’s lack of news is any indication, network execs are not thrilled with the way the series’ ratings have diminished throughout its run.
Organized Crime currently averages 3.9 million viewers per episode, an audience about half the size of the one that tuned in for the show’s first season.
We guess you could say NBC wishes the ratings were … stabler.
Bad jokes aside, the ratings situation is much sunnier over in Chicago, where all three franchise shows will now be in double-digit seasons (this will be the 10th season for Med, the 13th for Fire, and the 12th for PD).
Even more impressive is the fact that all three shows will do so with double-digit ratings.
According to long-tail ratings measuring ratings over 35 days, Chicago Fire is averaging 12.6 million viewers, PD draws 12 million, and Med places a close third with 10.5 million.
The franchise has become a rare success story in an increasingly unpredictable broadcast landscape.
On network and streaming, super long-running series are the new normal, as new shows continue to struggle to connect with audiences.
Execs know that it’s easier to keep a fan base than it is to build a new one, so shows that can measure their runs in decades rather than years are likely to become a more common occurrence.
What do you think, TV fanatics? Are you excited about the return of these record-breaking franchise shows?
Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts.
Tyler Johnson is an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic and the other Mediavine O&O sites. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and, of course, watching TV. You can Follow him on X and email him here at TV Fanatic.