NBC is going to give you even more to worry about at bedtime with another installment in Dick Wolf’s “Law & Order” franchise, handing a 13-episode order to the spinoff “Law and Order: Hate Crimes.” The show will be introduced with a backdoor pilot during the latter half of the upcoming 20th season of “SVU.”
Wolf co-created the series with former “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” showrunner Warren Leight, and focuses on New York’s real-life Hate Crimes Task Force, the second oldest bias-based task force in the U.S.
“As with all of my crime shows, I want to depict what’s really going on in our cities and shine a light on the wide-ranging victims and show that justice can prevail,” Wolf said. “Twenty years ago when ‘SVU’ began, very few people felt comfortable coming forward and reporting these crimes, but when you bring the stories into people’s living rooms – with characters as empathetic as Olivia Benson – a real dialogue can begin. That’s what I hope we can do with this new show in a world where hate crimes have reached an egregious level.”
Per NBC, the unit, which pledges to uphold a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination of any kind, works under the NYPD’s real Special Victims Unit and often borrows SVU’s detectives to assist in their investigations.
According to the logline, the drama is set in New York City, where crimes motivated by discrimination are vigorously investigated by an elite, specially trained team of investigators. Going behind the headlines and viral videos, these diverse, dedicated and passionate detectives will stop at nothing to bring these criminals to justice.
“As ‘Law & Order: SVU’ enters its remarkable 20th season, it is exciting to get back into business with Dick Wolf on a new ‘Law & Order’ incarnation that feels extremely timely,” said Lisa Katz, Co-President of Scripted Programming, NBC Entertainment. “Considering that last year there was a double-digit rise in hate crimes in our 10 largest cities — the highest total in over a decade — it seemed like this topic is begging to be explored.”
Added Tracey Pakosta, co-president of scripted programming, NBC Entertainment: “We’re confident that Dick and Warren will examine these cases in all their complexity and deliver another riveting series for our country, currently grappling with an escalation of these crimes and the motivations behind them.”
Leight said he’s “extremely impressed by the actual men and women investigating these cases in a city as complicated and diverse as New York.”
“The work they are doing puts them on the front lines in a battle for the soul of our city and nation,” he continued. “I’m thrilled about the chance to reunite with Dick and NBC to portray the reality of this crisis.”
Wolf has served as the creator and executive producer on all of NBC’s “Law & Order” franchise installments, including the currently-airing “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and the wrapped “Law and Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Law and Order: LA” “Law and Order: Trial By Jury,” and the 2017 limited series “Law and Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders.” Wolf also produces the Chicago-based dramas, “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago P.D.” and “Chicago Med.”
“Law & Order: Hate Crimes” hails from Wolf Entertainment production in association with Universal Television. Wolf and Leight are creators and executive producers, with Peter Jankowski and Arthur Forney also executive producing.