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The Verdict Is In: When Does Law & Order Return? (Plus, The Shocking Fate Of Organized Crime)

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The wait is finally over: The iconic "Law & Order" Thursday night lineup is officially returning to NBC to conclude its current season, bringing the flagship show and its record-breaking spin-off back from their winter hiatus. As of today, December 22, 2025, fans can mark their calendars for the highly-anticipated mid-season premiere, which will kick off with a massive, must-watch crossover event.

The entire Dick Wolf-produced franchise has been on break since the fall finale, but the wheels of justice are set to start turning again in the New Year. The return is headlined by a major two-hour event that will see the detectives and prosecutors of the original series team up with the Special Victims Unit. However, the schedule has a major shakeup, with one key show missing from the lineup, a change every fan of Detective Elliot Stabler needs to know.

The Official Law & Order Mid-Season Return Date and Schedule

The "Law & Order" universe is set to reclaim its Thursday night dominance with the return of its two longest-running series. The mid-season premiere will air on NBC, with episodes available to stream the next day on Peacock. This is the definitive schedule for the franchise's return from the holiday break:

  • Return Date: Thursday, January 8, 2026
  • Network: NBC (and next day on Peacock)

The Thursday Night Lineup: January 8, 2026

The return night is structured as a two-hour crossover special, with the narrative beginning in the first hour and concluding in the second. This event promises to be one of the biggest episodes of the 2025-2026 television season, demanding the attention of both the Law & Order and SVU fanbases.

8:00 p.m. ET/PT: Law & Order (Season 25 Mid-Season Return)

The flagship series returns for the second half of its 25th season. Expect the classic format of "ripped from the headlines" cases, with the police investigating a crime in the first half-hour and the prosecutors trying the case in the second. The mid-season premiere will serve as the first part of the two-hour crossover event, setting the stage for a major investigation.

9:00 p.m. ET/PT: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Season 27 Mid-Season Return)

The groundbreaking *SVU* continues its historic run with the mid-season premiere of Season 27. This episode will conclude the crossover event, bringing Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her elite squad into the case. Early teasers suggest the plot centers around a brutal murder discovered by Benson after she receives a mysterious phone call, forcing her to team up with the original *Law & Order* detectives.

10:00 p.m. ET/PT: The Hunting Party (Season Premiere)

Notably, the 10 p.m. slot, which traditionally belonged to the third installment of the "Law & Order" block, *Organized Crime*, will be taken by the season premiere of a new or returning NBC drama, *The Hunting Party*. This confirms a major schedule change for the beloved Stabler-led show.

The Stabler Mystery: What Happened to Law & Order: Organized Crime?

The biggest question for the "Law & Order" faithful is the fate of Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and the *Organized Crime* unit. The absence of *Law & Order: Organized Crime* (OC) from the January 8, 2026, mid-season schedule is due to a significant shift in its broadcast strategy.

The series, which brought back the iconic Stabler, has had a complicated past season. For its fifth season, *Organized Crime* moved to an exclusive streaming-first model, premiering its new episodes on the NBC streaming service, Peacock. This was a major, unprecedented move for a show within the franchise, signaling a new distribution strategy from Dick Wolf and NBCUniversal.

OC's Status: Streaming, Broadcast, and Season 6

While the initial move to Peacock for Season 5 was definitive, the landscape for Season 6 remains fluid. The following points summarize the current status of *Organized Crime*:

  • Season 5 on Peacock: The fifth season of *OC* aired exclusively on Peacock, with a shorter episode count compared to its broadcast counterparts.
  • The NBC Broadcast Question: Despite the streaming move, there have been reports and even promotional materials suggesting that *Organized Crime* may return to NBC for a subsequent broadcast run, potentially Season 6.
  • No January Return: Crucially, as of the current NBC mid-season schedule announcement, *Organized Crime* is not returning to the Thursday night lineup in January 2026. Fans looking for the next chapter of Stabler's journey should check the Peacock streaming service for any new Season 6 premiere announcements, as its broadcast future remains unconfirmed for the immediate future.

This situation means that the famous 'Law & Order' three-hour block is temporarily reduced to two hours for the mid-season return, with the focus squarely on the explosive crossover between the original series and *SVU*.

Topical Authority: The Dick Wolf Universe and Key Entities

The "Law & Order" franchise is a cornerstone of American television, created by legendary producer Dick Wolf. The upcoming mid-season return is a testament to the enduring success of his formula, which has dominated network television for decades, including the equally successful *One Chicago* and *FBI* franchises.

The return of the shows will feature the core ensemble casts, including:**

  • Mariska Hargitay as the iconic Captain Olivia Benson in *SVU*, who has become one of the longest-running characters in television history.
  • The cast of the flagship *Law & Order*, including the detectives and the District Attorney's office, carrying on the tradition of the show's dual focus on police and legal procedurals.
  • The return of a crossover event is a classic Wolf tactic, designed to boost ratings and create high-stakes drama by merging the worlds of Benson and the original Law & Order detectives.

The mid-season break has allowed the writers to craft a compelling continuation of the storylines left hanging in the fall finales. For fans of procedural drama, the January 8, 2026 return date is the most critical date on the television calendar, promising a dramatic and intense start to the New Year.

The best way to catch up on any missed episodes from the first half of the season—or to watch the new episodes live—is to tune into NBC on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, or stream them the following day on the Peacock streaming service.

The Verdict Is In: When Does Law & Order Return? (Plus, The Shocking Fate of Organized Crime)
when does law & order come back on
when does law & order come back on

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