Official poster for Law & Order

Scripted series · NBC

Law & Order

Truth matters.

7.3IMDb701 votesWorth your time
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1990 –26 seasons · 545 episodesTV-14Returning series
CrimeDrama
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Who's in it

Cast

The principal ensemble across the run of the series.

Dennis Farina

Dennis Farina

Joe Fontana

46 eps

Reid Scott

Reid Scott

Vincent Riley

56 eps

Anthony Anderson

Anthony Anderson

Kevin Bernard

60 eps

George Dzundza

George Dzundza

Max Greevey

22 eps

Tony Goldwyn

Tony Goldwyn

Nicholas Baxter

56 eps

Hugh Dancy

Hugh Dancy

Nolan Price

88 eps

Paul Sorvino

Paul Sorvino

Phil Cerreta

31 eps

Odelya Halevi

Odelya Halevi

Samantha Maroun

88 eps

Mehcad Brooks

Mehcad Brooks

Jalen Shaw

57 eps

Benjamin Bratt

Benjamin Bratt

Rey Curtis

95 eps

Jesse L. Martin

Jesse L. Martin

Ed Green

202 eps

Chris Noth

Chris Noth

Mike Logan

111 eps

Dann Florek

Dann Florek

Donald Cragen

69 eps

Steven Hill

Steven Hill

Adam Schiff

229 eps

Fred Thompson

Fred Thompson

Arthur Branch

116 eps

Dianne Wiest

Dianne Wiest

Nora Lewin

48 eps

Michael Moriarty

Michael Moriarty

Ben Stone

88 eps

Sam Waterston

Sam Waterston

Jack McCoy

405 eps

Linus Roache

Linus Roache

Michael Cutter

63 eps

Jill Hennessy

Jill Hennessy

Claire Kincaid

68 eps

Angie Harmon

Angie Harmon

Abbie Carmichael

72 eps

Alana de la Garza

Alana de la Garza

Connie Rubirosa

85 eps

Elisabeth Röhm

Elisabeth Röhm

Serena Southerlyn

85 eps

Richard Brooks

Richard Brooks

Paul Robinette

69 eps

Carey Lowell

Carey Lowell

Jamie Ross

50 eps

Carolyn McCormick

Carolyn McCormick

Elizabeth Olivet

65 eps

Jerry Orbach

Jerry Orbach

Lennie Briscoe

274 eps

S. Epatha Merkerson

S. Epatha Merkerson

Anita Van Buren

391 eps

Annie Parisse

Annie Parisse

Alexandra Borgia

34 eps

Milena Govich

Milena Govich

Nina Cassady

23 eps

Tovah Feldshuh

Tovah Feldshuh

Danielle Melnick

13 eps

Camryn Manheim

Camryn Manheim

Kate Dixon

48 eps

Peter McRobbie

Peter McRobbie

Walter Bradley

19 eps

Jeffrey Donovan

Jeffrey Donovan

Frank Cosgrove

34 eps

Christine Farrell

Christine Farrell

Arlene Shrier

16 eps

Jeremy Sisto

Jeremy Sisto

Cyrus Lupo

64 eps

Frank Anello

Frank Anello

NYPD Officer (uncredited)

16 eps

Donald Corren

Donald Corren

Medill

19 eps

Gia Gracielle Galeano

Gia Gracielle Galeano

Detective Gia

17 eps

The Nutevio profile

TV DNA

How Law & Order actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.

Signature profile

Law & Order reads strongest on Character Depth, Emotional Weight and Tension.

Character DepthVery strong8.0

How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.

Emotional WeightStrong6.6

How much the series is designed to affect you.

TensionStrong6.5

The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.

BingeabilityPresent5.3

How hard it is to stop after one episode.

SerializedPresent5.0

How much each hour depends on the one before it.

Cliffhanger IntensityPresent4.5

How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.

SpectacleLight3.5

Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.

World BuildingLight3.5

The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.

HumourLight2.5

How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.

The story

What it's about

In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to convict the perpetrator by proving the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Working together, these expert teams navigate all sides of the complex criminal justice system to make New York a safer place.

The run

Seasons

26 seasons · 545 episodes.

  • Official poster for Specials

    Season 0 · Unannounced

    Specials

    7 episodes

  • Official poster for Season 1

    Season 1 · Complete

    Season 1

    199022 episodes

    7.4IMDb

    Best episode · S01E09 Indifference

  • Official poster for Season 2

    Season 2 · Complete

    Season 2

    199122 episodes

    7.5IMDb

    Best episode · S02E15 Trust

  • Official poster for Season 3

    Season 3 · Complete

    Season 3

    199222 episodes

    7.6IMDb

    Best episode · S03E06 Helpless

  • Official poster for Season 4

    Season 4 · Complete

    Season 4

    199322 episodes

    7.7IMDb

    Best episode · S04E08 American Dream

  • Official poster for Season 5

    Season 5 · Complete

    Season 5

    199423 episodes

    7.7IMDb

    Best episode · S05E20 Bad Faith

  • Official poster for Season 6

    Season 6 · Complete

    Season 6

    199523 episodes

    7.7IMDb

    Best episode · S06E21 Pro Se

  • Official poster for Season 7

    Season 7 · Complete

    Season 7

    199623 episodes

    7.5IMDb

    Best episode · S07E04 Survivor

  • Official poster for Season 8

    Season 8 · Complete

    Season 8

    199724 episodes

    7.5IMDb

    Best episode · S08E22 Damaged

  • Official poster for Season 9

    Season 9 · Complete

    Season 9

    199824 episodes

    7.5IMDb

    Best episode · S09E24 Refuge (2)

  • Official poster for Season 10

    Season 10 · Complete

    Season 10

    199924 episodes

    7.4IMDb

    Best episode · S10E08 Blood Money

  • Official poster for Season 11

    Season 11 · Complete

    Season 11

    200024 episodes

    7.4IMDb

    Best episode · S11E09 Hubris

  • Official poster for Season 12

    Season 12 · Complete

    Season 12

    200124 episodes

    7.5IMDb

    Best episode · S12E23 Oxymoron

  • Official poster for Season 13

    Season 13 · Complete

    Season 13

    200224 episodes

    7.6IMDb

    Best episode · S13E23 Couples

  • Official poster for Season 14

    Season 14 · Complete

    Season 14

    200324 episodes

    7.3IMDb

    Best episode · S14E24 C.O.D.

  • Official poster for Season 15

    Season 15 · Complete

    Season 15

    200424 episodes

    7.2IMDb

    Best episode · S15E14 Fluency

  • Official poster for Season 16

    Season 16 · Complete

    Season 16

    200522 episodes

    7.4IMDb

    Best episode · S16E09 Criminal Law

  • Official poster for Season 17

    Season 17 · Complete

    Season 17

    200622 episodes

    7.2IMDb

    Best episode · S17E19 Fallout

  • Official poster for Season 18

    Season 18 · Complete

    Season 18

    200818 episodes

    7.2IMDb

    Best episode · S18E16 Strike

  • Official poster for Season 19

    Season 19 · Complete

    Season 19

    200822 episodes

    7.2IMDb

    Best episode · S19E07 Zero

  • Official poster for Season 20

    Season 20 · Complete

    Season 20

    200923 episodes

    7.1IMDb

    Best episode · S20E23 Rubber Room

  • Official poster for Season 21

    Season 21 · Complete

    Season 21

    202210 episodes

    7.4IMDb

    Best episode · S21E07 Legacy

  • Official poster for Season 22

    Season 22 · Complete

    Season 22

    202222 episodes

    7.8IMDb

    Best episode · S22E15 Fear and Loathing

  • Official poster for Season 23

    Season 23 · Complete

    Season 23

    202413 episodes

    8.4IMDb

    Best episode · S23E05 Last Dance

  • Official poster for Season 24

    Season 24 · Complete

    Season 24

    202422 episodes

    8.0IMDb

    Best episode · S24E05 Report Card

  • Official poster for Season 25

    Season 25 · Complete

    Season 25

    202521 episodes

    8.1IMDb

    Best episode · S25E05 Bend the Knee

  • Season 26 · Upcoming

    Season 26

    20261 episode

Where the series peaks

Best Episodes

The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.

Still from Last Dance

S23E05

Last Dance

9.2IMDb6 votes

When a woman is found murdered in Central Park, evidence points to two frequent park-goers: a street vendor and a tech billionaire. In the face of extreme political pressure, McCoy takes drastic action to make the case.

22 Feb 202443 min
Still from Enemy of the State

S24E09

Enemy of the State

8.8IMDb5 votes

Shaw and Riley discover a shocking motive after a young man is pushed in front of a train. When the trial hinges on a piece of legislation Baxter wrote, Price must convince Baxter to testify.

16 Jan 202543 min
Still from Report Card

S24E05

Report Card

8.8IMDb5 votes

A student is accused of killing his teacher. When the suspect's age puts the case in limbo, Price and Maroun put the school's policies on trial. Shaw's attempts to connect with the suspect backfire.

31 Oct 202442 min
Still from Turn the Page

S23E03

Turn the Page

8.8IMDb6 votes

When a young woman is strangled, Yee connects the MO to a potential serial offender, leading Riley to revisit a case that went cold on his watch. Price makes a risky move to bait one of their own on the stand.

1 Feb 202443 min
Still unavailable

S13E23

Couples

8.7IMDb9 votes

Briscoe and Green catch four murders and a kidnapping on the same day, and get handed confessions in each case.

21 May 200342 min
Still from Brotherly Love

S25E06

Brotherly Love

8.7IMDb5 votes

A respected restauranteur with a gambling problem is murdered, and Baxter and Price disagree on the best approach to a conviction. Meanwhile, Riley's brother is released from prison.

30 Oct 202542 min

Recently aired

Latest Episodes

Still from Accidentally Like a Martyr

S25E19

Accidentally Like a Martyr

8.0IMDb3 votes
30 Apr 202643 min
Still from Fate's Cruel Joke

S25E16

Fate's Cruel Joke

8.7IMDb3 votes
2 Apr 202642 min

Behind the series

Created by

Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.

The craft

Key Crew

Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.

Executive production

Writing

Direction

Cinematography

Music

Recognition

Awards

1 win

Genesis Award

1 win

  • WinnerGenesis Award

    Law & Order · Law & Order

Where to watch

Streaming

Availability verified against regional listings.

  • NetflixStreaming
  • HuluStreaming
  • Amazon VideoBuy
  • Apple TV StoreBuy
  • fuboTVStreaming
  • Peacock PremiumStreaming
  • PhiloStreaming
  • Google Play MoviesBuy
  • Fandango At HomeBuy
  • YouTube TVStreaming
  • NBCStreaming
  • Netflix Standard with AdsStreaming
  • Peacock Premium PlusStreaming

The wider universe

Connected Series

The Law & Order Universe

The longest-running procedural franchise on television.

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Where to go from here

Watch Next

Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.

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