Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 

This series follows the Special Victims Unit, a specially trained squad of detectives in the N.Y.P.D., who investigate sexually related crimes.

Creator:

Dick Wolf

Stars:

Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Ice-T

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 54 wins & 157 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Mariska Hargitay	...	Olivia Benson / ... 484 episodes, 1999-2021
Ice-T	...	Odafin Tutuola / ... 461 episodes, 2000-2021
Dann Florek	...	Donald Cragen / ... 331 episodes, 1999-2015
Richard Belzer	...	John Munch / ... 326 episodes, 1999-2016
Christopher Meloni	...	Elliot Stabler / ... 272 episodes, 1999-2011
BD Wong	...	Dr. George Huang / ... 230 episodes, 2001-2015
Tamara Tunie	...	Dr. Melinda Warner / ... 224 episodes, 2000-2020
Kelli Giddish	...	Amanda Rollins / ... 213 episodes, 2007-2021

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.

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Plot Keywords:

shared universe | ampersand in title | punctuation in title | victim | detective | 

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Taglines:

Every Victim Deserves a Voice.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Trivia

It was announced that the series was renewed for a twenty-first season, setting a record for the longest prime-time live-action American television show. This also set a record for Mariska Hargitay, who has played Olivia Benson for twenty consecutive seasons will again play Benson for her twenty-first consecutive season, overtaking James Arness of Gunsmoke (1955) for the most consecutive seasons as one character.

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Goofs

The time-lines of trials seem to be rushed and take place within days of the crime. Most of the cases on this series are rapes and homicides, with a few kidnappings thrown in. These cases, if not plea bargained, are seldom heard in less than a year after the event.

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Quotes

[Looking through a victim's purse for ID]
Olivia Benson: No jewelry. I always carry at least a pair of earrings in my purse.
Elliot Stabler: Yeah, like you carry a purse.
Olivia Benson: That's 'cause you carry it for me.
Elliot Stabler: Heh...

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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.

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Connections

Referenced in Conan: Mr. Gorbachev, Put Up Some Drapes! (2012)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Best cop show on TV

This is absolutely the best cop show on TV. There's less time in the court room and more with the detectives, which I enjoy. I think there needs to be more time with the detectives off the job. My favorite detective is Olivia Benson, the child of a rape who is played by Mariska Hargitay.Olivia is one of those detectives who would be really awesome if you knew her well, but you wouldn't want to get on her bad side. She is also very stubborn. She and Elliot Stabler (a family man played by Christopher Meloni) make a great team. Christopher and Mariska are great actors. I often forget that these are actors, not real people. I think Olivia should have a boyfriend. It might help her stop being so stubborn. This is just the best cop show ever to be on TV and I hope it stays on for a long time.

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