NBC Renews LAW & ORDER: SVU For Fourteenth Season

Deadline.com reports that the NBC network has inked a deal to bring back Dick Wolf's long-running crime series LAW & ORDER: SVU for a fourteenth season. Dick Wolf has been at NBC since the network merged with Universal in 2004. Prior to that, he was based at Universal’s TV studio, original home to the Law & Order franchise.

Created by Emmy Award-winning producer Wolf, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" chronicles the life and crimes of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who investigate sexually based crimes. Dedicated Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), a seasoned veteran of the unit who has seen it all, heads up the department with empathy and professionalism, all the while dealing with her difficult past – as a product of rape and a witness to her mother's grief, she can personally relate to each victim she tries to help.

In 2011, Hargitay (Detective Benson) garnered her eighth Emmy nomination for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and won the 2006 Emmy for that category. Also in 2011, she received her sixth SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Detective Benson. In 2009, Hargitay earned her second Golden Globe nomination for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the role, winning the award in 2005.

"SVU" has been continually acknowledged for its guest players, with Ann-Margret winning an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2010. In 2009, Ellen Burstyn won the Guest Actress award while fellow SVU guest stars Brenda Blethyn and Carol Burnett were also nominated. In 2008, Cynthia Nixon won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series and Robin Williams earned a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for their guest roles on "SVU." Leslie Caron was also awarded an Emmy at the 2007 Creative Arts Emmys for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." In 2007, the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards nominated 'SVU's' "Sin" for an Outstanding Individual Episode. In addition, Richard Belzer was nominated for a 2007 People's Choice Award for Favorite Scene Stealing Star, and "Law & Order: SVU" was nominated for Best Drama. In 2012, the show won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Drama Series.