Law & Order: SVU Sets Historic First With Showrunner Update As Season 27 Renewal Is Expected To Come Soon

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit sets a historic first with its new showrunner as a season 27 renewal is expected to come soon. Created by Dick Wolf, the NBC series stars Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson of the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit, which investigates and prosecutes sexually-based crimes. Premiered in 1999, SVU is the longest-running series in the Law & Order franchise and has had eight different showrunners throughout its history, starting with Robert Palm and most recently, David Graziano.

Now, as first reported by Deadline, Law & Order: SVU has named Michele Fazekas as its first female showrunner in series history. She will take over the top spot from Graziano, who has served as showrunner for the past three seasons and will finish the current season 26 before being replaced by Fazekas. While Law & Order: SVU has not yet been officially renewed for season 27, it is widely expected to be in the coming weeks.

What Law & Order: SVU’s First Female Showrunner Means For The Show

Michele Fazekas will take over the top spot as Law & Order: SVU showrunner with much experience. She previously contributed to the series as a writer and co-executive producer from 2001 to 2006. Fazekas, with her longtime writing and producing partner Tara Butters, recently served as co-showrunners for The Boys spinoff Gen V. It was previously reported that Fazekas would act as the sole showrunner for season 2 following Butters’ decision to step down, though it’s unclear if that is still the case after being named Law & Order: SVU showrunner.

Together, Fazekas and Butters have also created series such as The CW’s Reaper, ABC’s Emergence, and Kevin (Probably) Saves the World. They also served as co-showrunners on Marvel’s Agent Carter and as executive producers on Resurrection, both also on ABC. Additionally, their television work includes contributions to procedurals such as CBS’s Hawaii Five-O and NCIS: Los Angeles. Though Law & Order: SVU is Fazekas’ first stint as a solo showrunner without Butters, she is still entering the position with a wealth of experience.

Our Take On Law & Order: SVU’s First Female Showrunner

It’s surprising that it took 26 seasons for Law & Order: SVU, a show centered on justice that often highlights gender disparities, to finally have its first female showrunner. Michele Fazekas’ appointment seems long overdue, especially given the show’s focus on strong female characters like Olivia Benson. Fazekas being named Law & Order: SVU‘s first female showrunner marks an important milestone, but also serves as a reminder of the persistent barriers that women still face in the television industry.