Article | How Law & Order: SVU Season 21 Is Making History in More Ways Than One

[ Written on August 31 2019 by Sarah ]

Law & Order: SVU is making history in more ways than one this year.

The NBC police drama fronted by Mariska Hargitay becomes the longest-running scripted primetime drama with season 21, beating the record previously set by mothership Law & Order and Gunsmoke. For the landmark season, returning showrunner Warren Leight is also making some big changes behind the scenes of the series by opening up the writers room and for the first time, women outnumber the men.

“We talked about what we wanted to see happen this year in terms of casting, in terms of storyline, in terms of emotional stakes,” Leight told E! News about his discussions with Hargitay, who also serves as executive producer on the series. “One of the things I did that she was happy with, I opened up with a lot of new writers in the writers room.“

Leight said three new writers were journalists “who know this world really well, but have not written for TV before.” “The writers room is more women than men for the first time in the show’s history, so it changes the dynamic of the room. It’s fresh air into the writers room,” Leight said. “We’re re-approaching the specificity of design.“

Out of the 11 season 21 writers, seven are women.

Viewers should also look for the stakes to be higher when the show returns Thursday, Sept. 26 on NBC.

“We are aware of this has never been done before. And you don’t want it to be just a regular season, you want it to be special. You want the stories to not feel like they could’ve happened any time in the last—it could’ve been episode 330 or 387, you want it to feel like, ‘That was one of the season 21 episodes.’ We’re looking for stories that allow as full a range of emotion as possible,” Leight said.

In addition to emotionally rich stories, look for some big guest stars. Already SVU has announced Deadwood and American Gods star Ian McShane will appear in the season premiere. Modern Family’s Ariel Winter will also appear in an early season 21 episode. As for fans hoping for some more familiar faces, they shouldn’t give up hope…

Source: E! News

Paley Center teams up with New York Post for ‘Law & Order: SVU’ panel

[ Written on August 15 2019 by Sarah ]

The Paley Center for Media and the New York Post have teamed up for two New York-centric events for the fall season.

In honor of the show’s record-breaking 21st season, making it the longest running drama in television, “Law & Order: SVU” cast and creatives will be on hand to chat about the show’s history on Sept. 25.

Creator and executive producer Dick Wolf, Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, showrunner Warren Leight and executive producer Julie Martin will all be in attendance for the panel, which will be hosted by New York Post television columnist Michael Starr.

HISTORY IS MADE: LAW & ORDER: SVU CELEBRATES A MILESTONE
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
The Paley Center for Media
6:30 PM
25 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019

IN PERSON
Dick Wolf, Creator and Executive Producer
Mariska Hargitay, “Lt. Olivia Benson”; Executive Producer
Ice-T, “Sgt. Odafin Tutuola”
Kelli Giddish, “Det. Amanda Rollins”
Peter Scanavino, “Det. Sonny Carisi”
Warren Leight, Executive Producer and Showrunner
Julie Martin, Executive Producer
Moderator: Michael Starr, Television Columnist, New York Post

In the criminal-justice genre, no television content has made a greater impact than Dick Wolf’s phenomenally successful Law & Order franchise for NBC, and this fall Special Victims Unit celebrates a truly remarkable milestone by becoming the longest-running prime-time live-action series in television history. The show, starring Mariska Hargitay as Lieutenant Olivia Benson of the NYPD SVU, is entering its twenty-first season, breaking the previous record, shared by Wolf’s original Law & Order and Gunsmoke. SVU is proof that even in this age of “Peak TV,” network shows can connect with viewers on a profound emotional level, while also helping to transform society. Hargitay, an Emmy and Golden Globe–winner for her portrayal of Benson, has become so deeply committed to the issues raised on SVU that she founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, dedicated to ending sexual violence.

TICKETS ON SALE DATES
Paley Members get presale access and ticket discounts!
Tickets on sale to Paley Supporting & Patron Members NOW.
On sale to Paley Individual Members Friday, August 16 at noon.
On sale to General Public Saturday, August 17 at noon.

Info & Tickets : Click Here

Article | Mariska & Peter Reveal Laughter Is the Key to Their 15-Year Marriage

[ Written on June 12 2019 by Sarah ]

Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann Reveal Laughter Is the Key to Their 15-Year Marriage.

Covering this week’s issue of People, the couple sweetly reflects on their long-lasting relationship.

In the celebrity-romance department, lasting relationships are considered especially rare — and few have defied the odds quite like Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann.

Sitting down exclusively with PEOPLE in this week’s issue, on stands Friday, the New York City-based couple reveals the key to their 18 years together, 15 of which they’ve spent as husband and wife: the laughter that flows freely between them and their family. (The two are parents to sons August, 12, and Andrew, 7, and daughter Amaya, 8.)

“I never thought I would have this much laughter in my life,” says Hermann, 51, who has reached a new level of stardom in the TV Land hit Younger, playing dashing publishing mogul Charles.

“Not just actual laughter,” he adds. “But also the way that Mariska is just the embodiment of laughter — of joy.”

“It’s not that we don’t fight,” adds Hargitay, 55, longtime star of Law & Order: SVU, where she plays the crusading Lieutenant Olivia Benson.

But the actress, who also helms the Joyful Heart Foundation for abuse survivors, says seeing the absurdity in certain squabbles has proven to be crucial, as well as finding life’s silver linings.

The pair met when Hermann guest-starred on SVU in 2002 and they instantly clicked. Nearly two decades later, they are remarkably attuned to each other — when Hargitay suddenly furrows her brow, Hermann quickly says, “Bless you,” seconds before she actually sneezes — and their banter is easy and filled with good-natured ribbing.

For more on Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann, pick up this week’s issue of People, on newsstands Friday.

Source: People.Com

Photoshoots > 2019 > Session 002: People Magazine | June 2019

To Mariska Hargitay, ‘SVU’s’ Best Stories Come From Its Fans

[ Written on April 29 2019 by Sarah ]

Over the course of 20 seasons and more than 450 episodes, Law & Order: SVU has covered a lot of ground. Through its “torn from the headlines” plots, it has told stories about all kinds of crimes and, more importantly, all kinds of victims. Mariska Hargitay, the one actor who has been with the show from the very beginning, has plenty to be proud of. So, when we asked her, she understandably wasn’t able to focus on any particular episode. Rather, she talked about what the show has meant to the viewers.

Click here to go to the article and then Click on the media bar below to hear Mariska Hargitay talk.

Source: Hollywood Outbreak

Warren Leight Returns To ‘Law & Order: SVU’ As Showrunner

[ Written on April 23 2019 by Sarah ]

As Law & Order: SVU is heading into its historic 21st season, the series is bringing back one of its beloved showrunners. Warren Leight, credited with revitalizing the veteran crime drama during his five-year turn at the helm, is returning as executive producer/showrunner.

He will succeed another veteran of the Dick Wolf drama universe, Michael Chernuchin, who will join Wolf’s CBS series FBI, recently renewed for a second season. Chernuchin has signed a new overall deal with Universal Television, the studio behind all Dick Wolf shows.

On Law & Order: SVU, Leight will work alongside executive producer Julie Martin. Norberto Barba (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) is joining the series, starring and exec produced by Mariska Hargitay, as the production director/executive producer.

Leight most recently co-created with Wolf Law & Order: Hate Crimes. Leight will continue to shepherd the new spinoff, which remains in development at NBC.

“We have a ‘murderers’ row’ of writers and showrunners on our shows,” Wolf added. “What they do on a daily and weekly basis is mind-boggling. I’m thrilled that Warren is returning for the historic 21st season of SVU,’and I can’t thank Rick, Derek, Diane, Andy and Nooch enough for turning out smart, compelling and popular television every week.”

Leight joined SVU at the beginning of Season 13 when the drama was at crossroads, having just lost its co-lead Christopher Meloni. He shifted the attention to Hargitay’s Olivia Benson and successfully rebuilt the show around her, giving it a new life. When he left the series in 2016 after five years, Hargitay paid a fond tribute to him, calling him “a very beautiful, empathetic and deeply talented writer.”

Source: deadline.com

Dick Wolf & the ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Cast Sound Off on Their Record-Breaking Renewal

[ Written on April 19 2019 by Sarah ]

Last year, Mariska Hargitay had an emphatic response when asked if she wanted her Law & Order: SVU to surpass the 20 seasons posted by mother ship Law & Order. “You know I do!” she told us.

The star got her wish. NBC just renewed the ripped-from-the-headlines sex crimes procedural for a record-breaking 21st season, making it the longest-running primetime live-action series in TV history. (Law & Order and Gunsmoke both ran for 20 seasons.) Not bad for a drama dealing with felonies not often talked about in polite society.

Dick Wolf, creator of the L&O franchise, first believed the original series would hold the title. “When Law & Order was in its 12th season, I started thinking about a record that appeared to be unbreakable — Gunsmoke’s 20-year run,” he tells TV Guide Magazine.

“We got closer, and in 2010 tied the record, but breaking it was not to be.” (The show was canceled in May 2010.) “At the time,” Wolf continues, “SVU was in its 11th season, and Ice T said, ‘Maybe, SVU will break the record.’ And here we are — 21 and counting.”

In a TV universe that now includes cable and streaming, SVU’s two-decade-plus presence is remarkable. Despite the loss of many cast members over the years, like fan favorites Christopher Meloni , Richard Belzer and Stephanie March, ratings have remained solid. Philip Winchester’s ADA Stone will depart at the end of this season. SVU reached 10 to 15 million viewers in its first decade and hit 8.6 million as recently as Season 19. It’s still NBC’s highest-rated Thursday-night show.

Provocative storylines and top-notch guest stars have kept the drama popular, but the special sauce is the much beloved Hargitay, who has played Olivia Benson — promoted to lieutenant in 2015 — since the 1999 pilot.

Come next season, Benson will be the longest-running female character in a primetime live-action series. “Olivia is the mother figure we all want,” Hargitay said.

The Emmy winner, who pronounced herself humbled to make TV history, credits SVU’s long life to powerful writing. “We have always told compelling stories that are close to our hearts, our souls and our core,” she told TV Guide Magazine.

And if she has her way, there will be even more stories to come. The next milestone she hopes to hit: 25 years!

Source: TV Insider

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