Get ready for a double Dun Dun like you’ve never seen before.
Atwo-part Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit crossover is coming to NBC in 2026, and fans won’t want to miss it.
Just as Season 25 of Law & Order and Season 27 of Law & Order: SVU head on hiatus to make way for holly jolly holiday programming, NBC has officially announced a crossover on the horizon. The Law & Order franchise is jam-packed with scene-stealing stars, so fans always relish seeing the dynamite detectives join forces with other elite squad members. When you combine Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her elite squad with the fearless 27th Precinct run by Lt. Jessica Brady (Maura Tierney), criminals don’t stand a chance.
The midseason return of Season 25 of Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU Season 27 is set to be a high-octane watch as the squads team up on what’s sure to be a mind-boggling case. Here’s everything to know about how to tune in:
Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy), Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), and A.D.A. Samantha Maroun (Odelya Halevi) appear on Law & Order Season 22 Episode 1 “Gimme Shelter”.
Photo: Michael Greenberg/NBC
When is the Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU crossover event?
The two-hour Law & Order and SVU crossover airs on Thursday, January 8, at 8/7 on NBC.
Aside from tuning in for the return of NBC’s Law & Order on Thursdays, the two-part crossover will also be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
The 2026 Law & Order crossover event will feel “like a movie”
The fall finale of Law & Order Season 25 was a wild ride after the 2-7 investigated the suspicious murder of a high-powered CEO, only to realize they’d charged the wrong individual. On Season 27 of SVU, Benson worked a potential “Gone Girl” case that led to a courtroom circus, leading not only to a mistrial but a potential transfer for the SVU Captain.
What will happen next? Viewers will have to wait for the midseason premiere crossover event to find out. Like One Chicago’s latest three-part crossover, showrunner Rick Eid teased to TV Insider that the vision for the Law & Order and SVU crossover “is to have many characters from both shows in both hours, so it feels more like a movie than a handoff to a second show.” Sounds like an action-packed watch!
RELATED: Why Hugh Dancy Was “In Awe” of Mariska Hargitay While Filming Law & Order Crossover
In a promo for the SVU and Law & Order crossover episode, Captain Benson can be spotted looking determined as ever to track down an elusive assailant. And in Benson’s 27 valiant years on the force, this case has caught even her off guard.
“I thought that I’d seen everything on this job … I’d like to combine forces, work this case together,” Benson says in the teaser, which also gives glimpses into the squad’s tenacious pursuit.
“This case is too important to leave to chance,” Law & Order D.A. Nicholas Baxter (Tony Goldwyn) says in the promo, which boasts appearances from other franchise fan favorites, like 2-7 commander Brady, Sergeant Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish), Sergeant Fin Tutuola (Ice T), A.D.A. Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy), and Detective Vincent Riley (Reid Scott).
In another clip, Benson can be spotted urgently commanding the squads in response to an active threat. “Take cover, get back!”
Law & Order icons love the chance to work with the SVU squad
Despite the dramatic nature of the franchise’s subject matter, there’s nothing but love behind the scenes of Law & Order and SVU, with the stars relishing any opportunity to reconnect with their fellow franchise icons. Odelya Halevi, who plays A.D.A. Samantha Maroun, told NBC Insider that it’s always a thrill to work with SVU titan Mariska Hargitay, who always raises spirits.
“Mariska Hargitay is such an amazing host,” Halevi shared. “You know, every time we go there, every time we get to work with her, she is the most welcoming. She has the best energy; she is just always happy, always has a smile on her face. She makes it feel like we’re home.”
Meanwhile, Law & Order newcomer David Ajala got the chance to meet franchise legend Ice T, thanks to his 2-7 Detective Theo Walker crossing paths with SVU Sgt. Fin Tutuola in the upcoming crossover. Ajala revealed that Ice T was keen to check in on him and happy to give him some tips and tricks for the franchise.
“He’s great, man. Very, very kind guy,” Ajala told NBC Insider. “Within the first hour or so of working with him, he pulled me aside and was just saying, ‘Yo, man, how you feeling? How’s the show going on? You enjoying the character? How’s the collaborative process with the producers?'”
Ajala added, “He’s just like one of those cats that’s just like, been there, done that.’ He’s seen everything. So nothing really phases him. Really nice guy.”
