Mariska Hargitay Reveals When Law & Order: SVU Will End

Law & Order: SVU is the second longest-running primetime TV show, but is there an end in sight? Keep reading to see when Law & Order: SVU will end and Mariska Hargitay’s thoughts on the show’s future.
Created by Dick Wolf, SVU is the first spin-off of Law & Order and the second in the Law & Order franchise. It first premiered in 1999 and follows trained detectives in the New York City Police Department as they investigate sexually related crimes. The series originally starred Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson and Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler, however, Meloni left the show in 2011. He later reprised his role on Law & Order: Organized Crime in 2021 and occasionally appears on SVU in crossover episodes.

The upcoming Season 25 is set to premiere on Jan. 18, 2024. With it, Hargitay’s Benson becomes the longest-running character on a primetime drama. During her January 2024 cover story for People, the actress reflected on the her character and the show’s longevity. “I can’t believe it’s been 25 years, a quarter of a century!” she marveled. Harigtay explained that Benson originally started off as “the second detective” alongside Stabler, noting that Meloni was “a little more experienced” as an actor and she was “trying to catch up.”

With time, Hargitay grew into one of the most recognizable stars on TV, earning eight consecutive Emmy nominations for her portrayal of Benson and a win in 2006. “As I became more comfortable with the character, you saw this powerful woman emerge,” she told the outlet.
As for her thoughts on the show’s future and if it will continue following Season 25, she said: “I can’t imagine the show ending, and can’t imagine not going on this journey with my cast, my crew. I have so much to look forward to.”
Fans can’t picture the show ending anytime soon either, with several predicting in a Reddit thread that it will end when Benson retires or Hargitay decides to leave. “The grand finale will be Liv’s retirement party,” one fan wrote. Another theorized: “I think when Mariska leaves, they’ll try to do at least one more season, but it won’t be as good and will be canceled after that.”

During a Jan. 8 interview with Forbes, Wolf weighed in on the future of his primetime shows, which include the One Chicago and FBI franchises. He revealed that he wants to continue to make TV until he’s 100 years old, adding: “The imminent death of broadcast television is overstated.”