Law & Order: SVU to become the longest-running prime-time drama ever


The Law & Order franchise is about to break its own record.
Law & Order: SVU on Friday was renewed for a 21st season by NBC, which means it's set to become the longest-running prime-time drama in the history of television, Entertainment Weekly reports.
At the moment, two shows are tied for that title: the classic western series Gunsmoke and the original Law & Order, both of which ran 20 seasons. In fact, SVU will now become the longest-running live-action prime-time show in any genre, The Wrap points out. The only prime-time series with more seasons is The Simpsons, which is currently on season 30 but has been renewed up to season 32.
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This, of course, only counts prime-time shows, so soap operas aren't included. SVU, after all, doesn't even come remotely close to the record set by Guiding Light, which ended in 2009 after an eye-popping 57 seasons.
The official Twitter account for SVU broke out the dad jokes to celebrate the renewal on Friday, writing, "We're not DUN DUN yet."
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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