‘Law & Order: SVU’ season 16 official; Mariska Hargitay ‘expected’ to return

Big news coming out today from NBC: You are going to see more of “Law & Order: SVU.” The long-running series will in fact be back for its 16th season, which means more cases, more stories, and hopefully more of the same cast.

For the record, we have yet to hear anything regarding contractual situations with Mariska Hargitay or anyone else, but we would assume for now that everyone is returning unless we hear otherwise. It’s hard to really see this series play out without Agent Benson on board it in some capacity.

When it comes to ratings, there was no decision to make here at all. The show has been strong at times, especially with the William Lewis storyline, and Mariska has killed it when it comes to her performance. The only real issue has been money. Harigtay understandably commands a hefty salary, and so days show creator Dick Wolf and many other longtime cast members. When you have something that has been on the air a decade and a half, the costs do go through the roof compared to a new series.

While we aren’t always comfortable with every storyline the show does (it does tackle such serious subjects), we continue to love the fact that there is room for an institution like this. It is the sole survivor of one of the best franchises in TV history, and it does the crime procedural in a way that no one else can. It’s also been a great landing spot for fantastic guest stars over the years.

Update: Deadline reports that star Mariskay Hargitay is “expected” to be back for the next season.

Photo: NBC