'Law and Order: Organized Crime' — Everything We Know about the Upcoming Spinoff

"Law And Order's" eighth spinoff titled "Law And Order: Organized Crime," is set to premiere in April 2021. Fans are excited to welcome detective Eliot Stabler back to their screens.

Over three decades ago, the crime series "Law & Order" graced TV screens in households across the world. The show continued for several seasons and became an instant hit, so much so that the network introduced about eight spinoff shows.

Its latest spinoff, "Law and Order: Organized Crime," set to premiere this spring, would introduce a new lineup of casts. Surprisingly, the spinoff would welcome "Law And Order: SVU" alum Christopher Meloni back to reprise his role as Detective Eliot Stabler.

"LAW AND ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME" CASTS

Aside from Christopher Meloni, who returns as Detective Stabler, a role he played for twelve seasons until his 2011 exit, viewers can't help but wonder who else made the cast list.

For years, NBC has teased the icon's possible return to "SVU." On his part, Meloni never seemed open to the idea

Another prestigious star of the franchise who would grace the screens this spring is the fan-favorite Mariska Hargitay. The actress's social media activities so far have confirmed her appearance on the show.

She will be reprising her role as Olivia Benson, detective Stabler's ex-partner. One more Hollywood A-lister cast in the NBC series is Dylan McDermott.

Known for his role in the ABC series, "The Practice," the actor is not a newbie in the world of crime-solving. "Bones" star Tamara Taylor would also appear as a lead character in the spinoff.

Aside from these four, the network has remained tight-lipped in spilling the beans on the cast lineup. But come spring, fans would finally get in on the gist.

THE SPINOFF'S PLOT

Like other spinoffs in the franchise, "Law & Order: Organized Crime" would center on the police department's top detectives and their crime-solving adventures.

However, the return of detective Stabler in his very own spinoff, ten years after his sudden retirement, leaves many questions unattended. The spinoff would open with the return of the detective to the NYPD following a devastating personal loss.

Meeting the city and its police force in a different state from ten years ago will make adapting to the new system a challenge. Going through the daunting process while striving to rebuild his life would set the movie's premise in motion.

Of course, his crime-fighting escapades would guarantee no short supply of action and suspense as he leads a new task force on a quest to neutralize New York's most powerful crime syndicates.

THE SHOW'S RELEASE DATE

Initially slated to premiere in the fall of 2020, NBC postponed its release due to some production hitches, including the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The showrunner, Matt Olmstead's departure from the project, also stalled productions until his replacement by Ilene Chaiken. Overcoming all these obstacles made the release date due for spring 2021.

On February 4, NBC disclosed that "Law & Order: Organized Crime," season One, would hit the screens on April 1, 2021. It would run for an hour by 10 p.m., following its prequel, "SVU," which airs by 9 p.m.

CHRISTOPHER MELONI ON "LAW & ORDER"

Meloni joined the cast of "Law And Order: SVU" from its inception in 1999. For the first twelve seasons, he starred as Olivia Benson's long time partner, with fans hoping their professional relationship would birth an unbeatable love story.

Those expectations were cut short when the icon left the show in 2011. The franchise wrote off the character's exit as an early retirement, but that in no way stopped fans from craving his return. People asked why the beloved character left the show.

WHY HE LEFT THE SHOW

Various reports have linked Meloni's sudden exit to failure to reach a befitting contract. According to the reports, the actor felt overly underpaid and tried to renegotiate a salary increase, but the network did not feel the same way.

His only other option was quitting the show, which he did after the Season 12 finale. In a 2017 interview, the icon confirmed the reason for his exit, saying he knew it was time to leave the show when the negotiations broke down.

HIS GRAND RETURN

For years, NBC has teased the icon's possible return to "SVU." On his part, Meloni never seemed open to the idea, admitting in a 2019 tweet that he had zero plans for that.

Hence, no one expected the actor to return in a big way with his own spinoff. The announcement of his return in early 2020 took fans by surprise, and the anticipation has only escalated since then.

As viewers await the launch of the first episode of "Law & Order: Organized Crime," it becomes more apparent that the spinoff is set to be a hit, like its prequels.