Why hasn’t Law & Order: SVU season 19 renewal happened already?
We understand that season 18 was a little bit of a complicated season for the show, given that you had a new showrunner in Rick Eid stepping in for Warren Leight. Also, you had a shorter episode count in 21, multiple hiatus, and an installment inspired by Donald Trump that never made it onto the air. (It certainly does not look as though the show will be airing anytime soon, but we’ll keep you posted.)
Are the live+same day ratings down so far this season? Sure, but we’re talking about a drop of only 13%. The majority of network shows this season are seeing decreases of 15-20% thanks largely in part to people finding other ways to watch TV. Some of these viewers are still recording the show, or will binge it after the fact. It’s still one of NBC’s top-rated dramas, and hopefully, it is going to have the momentum from the folks at the network in order to keep going for a good while longer.
If we thought that Mariska Hargitay or anyone else was plotting a departure from the show, maybe we’d be a little bit more worried. Yet, the series isn’t really giving us a reason to be shaking in our boots there. We get the sense that the cast appreciates being able to take on some of this material, even if it is heavy. After all, this is some powerful stuff that shines a light on issues in the real world. It does offer up an education, but frames it in a way where you get some compelling drama to go along with it.
At this point within the next two weeks, we hope to have some further news on an SVU renewal. After all, at this point time is ticking away.
What do you think: Why is NBC taking their time, and do you think that a season 19 renewal is coming sooner or later? Share in the comments!
(Photo: NBC.)