Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999– )

This show introduces the Special Victims Unit, a new elite squad of NYPD detectives who investigate sexually related crimes.

Creator:

Dick Wolf

Stars:

Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Ice-T

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 47 wins & 129 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Mariska Hargitay	...	Olivia Benson (379 episodes, 1999-2016)
Ice-T	...	Odafin 'Fin' Tutuola (357 episodes, 2000-2016)
Dann Florek	...	Captain Donald Cragen (331 episodes, 1999-2015)
Richard Belzer	...	John Munch (325 episodes, 1999-2014)
Christopher Meloni	...	Elliot Stabler (272 episodes, 1999-2011)
BD Wong	...	Dr. George Huang (230 episodes, 2001-2015)
Tamara Tunie	...	Dr. Melinda Warner (221 episodes, 2000-2015)

Storyline

In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

---

Plot Keywords:

detective | victim | rape | rape victim | justice | 

---

Taglines:

In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

Channel 5 [UK] NBC [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 September 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Law & Order's Sex Crimes

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wolf Films, Studios USA Television, Universal Network Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Belzer carried his role of Det. John Munch over from the series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) and the TV movie Homicide: The Movie (2000). He also played John Munch in Law & Order (1990) which had several crossover episodes with "Homicide", an episode of The X-Files (1993), an episode of The Beat (2000), an episode of Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005), the season 3 finale of Arrested Development (2003) and an episode of The Wire (2002). This is a record for appearances by an actor playing the same character in different programs. Det. John Munch's character was also played in Sesame Street (1969) voiced by Joey Mazzarino.

---

Quotes

Capt. Donald Cragen: You don't get to pick the vic.

---

Crazy Credits

From the second episode of the second season (2000-2001), the opening credits break the pattern followed by the earlier episodes of SVU, the original Law & Order, and Criminal Intent. Instead of the credits ending with a shot of the cast walking towards the camera, they instead are shown sitting around a desk.

---

Connections

Referenced in Nip/Tuck: Candy Richards (2008)

---

Soundtracks

I'm Not Driving Anymore
(remix)
Written and Performed by Rob Dougan

User Reviews

a drama worth watching

Quality is the foundation that "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" is based upon as it illuminates from the screen each hour it is on every night.

Dick Wolf has combined quality writing with quality casting. Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Ice-T, Dann Florek, B.D. Wong and Richard Belzer all share one thing in common: they star in one of finest series on television.

Mariska, Chris, Ice-T, Dann, B. D. and the now departed Stephanie March are a well-rounded cast that compliment each other well. Furthermore, the cast is so good portraying their characters that I have to remind myself that they are actors not detectives.

Quality writing and outstanding performances set "Law And Order: SVU" apart from the other dramas on television. Each episode is riveting, written with intelligence, and character driven. It is a privilege to watch "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

The writers' ability to draw viewers in and make them care about the involving story lines and characters help to make "Law & Order: SVU" one of the finest legal series on television. EVERYONE MUST WATCH.