Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 28
The SVU detectives continue their pursuit of justice.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season 28 is the twenty-eighth season of the American police procedural crime drama television series created by Dick Wolf. The season premiered on October 8, 2026, following the series' renewal in April 2026. It continues to follow the detectives of the Special Victims Unit as they investigate and prosecute sex-based crimes.
Quick Facts
- Season number
- 28
- Premiere date
- October 8, 2026
- Network
- NBC
- Series creator
- Dick Wolf
- Longest starring character
- Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson
- Renewal announcement
- April 2026
Facts from the source article.
Premise
Based out of the New York City Police Department's 16th precinct in Manhattan, the detectives of the Special Victims Unit investigate and prosecute various sexually oriented crimes, including rape, child sexual abuse, human trafficking, and domestic violence. They also handle cases involving abuses of children, the disabled, and elderly victims of non-sexual crimes requiring specialist handling. The unit works with the Manhattan District Attorney's office to prosecute cases and seek justice for victims and survivors. Stories often touch on political and societal issues related to gender identity, sexual preferences, and equality rights, and are frequently based on real crimes with fictionalized details.
Production
The original title was Sex Crimes, but concerns from Barry Diller led to the change to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit to reflect the actual NYPD unit handling sexually based offenses. Executive producer Neal Baer left as showrunner after season twelve, replaced by Warren Leight. During post-production of season 18, Eid departed to take over another Dick Wolf series, Chicago P.D.
Release
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is broadcast on NBC in the United States. From season 20 onward, it aired Thursday nights at 10 p.m. By season 22, the show shifted to 9 p.m., with Law & Order: Organized Crime taking over the later slot. In the UK, the series has been on Sky Witness since season 21. Starting with season 23, Canadian viewers can watch it on CityTV, simulcasting with NBC, after moving from CTV. Rock Entertainment carries the show in Southeast Asia. The five most recent episodes are available for free on NBC.com and the NBC app. Most episodes are accessible on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video. In 2024, select seasons became available again on Netflix in regions including the UK, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.
Reception
The series has received many awards and nominations. The series holds an average score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 66%.
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