Is Law & Order: SVU New Tonight? SVU and Law & Order This Week
Quick answer: Yes — both shows have new episodes tonight, Thursday, Oct. 22, on NBC (both started their seasons on Oct. 8). Law & Order: SVU has "Anonymity" (Season 28, Episode 3) at 9 p.m. ET/PT, and Law & Order follows with "Bad News" (Season 26, Episode 3) at 10 p.m. ET/PT, per The Futon Critic's NBC listings. Central time is an hour earlier for each. We checked the listings at 9:30 a.m. ET on Oct. 22.
Last new episodes: Thursday, Oct. 15 — SVU "Midway" (S28, E2) and Law & Order "Into the Mystic" (S26, E2). The season premieres were on Oct. 8: SVU "Volition" (S28, E1) and Law & Order "Ghost in the Machine" (S26, E1).
Is Law & Order: SVU new tonight?
On Thursdays, yes, starting with the Oct. 8 premiere. NBC's release for "Volition" described an assault case that is hard to prove in court and a jury consultant who puts strain on Benson's working relationship with Carisi. TV Insider reports that J. Smith-Cameron plays the consultant, Gwen Sharpe, in a recurring role.
The Oct. 15 episode, "Midway," started with a boy who disappears from a carnival. Curry takes the family's call, and the search turns up a link to an older abduction.
Is Law & Order new tonight?
Yes, on the same Thursdays, one hour after SVU. Season 26 opened on Oct. 8 with "Ghost in the Machine," in which the murder of a software engineer sends Riley and Walker into the A.I. business, and Baxter ends up prosecuting a case where the technology has outrun the law. On Oct. 15, "Into the Mystic" takes Price and Walker off a case because of their connection to a murder suspect, while a prosecution witness changes their story.
The order of the night is new this fall: NBC Insider's premiere-date story has SVU at 9 and Law & Order at 10.
When is the next new episode of each show?
NBC's releases had titles through Oct. 15. After that, The Futon Critic's NBC listings name the Oct. 22 and Oct. 29 episodes and hold both Thursday slots on Nov. 5 and Nov. 12 with the episode marked TBA. On Nov. 19 only Law & Order has a slot in the listings; SVU has none that night, and we haven't found a published reason. Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, has neither show: NBC carries the NFL's Chiefs–Bills game that night at 8:20 p.m. ET.
| Date | Show & time | Status | Season & episode | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Oct. 22 | SVU, 9 p.m. ET/PT | New (per listings) | S28, E3 | Anonymity |
| Thursday, Oct. 22 | Law & Order, 10 p.m. ET/PT | New (per listings) | S26, E3 | Bad News |
| Thursday, Oct. 29 | SVU, 9 p.m. ET/PT | New (per listings) | S28, E4 | Arcana |
| Thursday, Oct. 29 | Law & Order, 10 p.m. ET/PT | New (per listings) | S26, E4 | Property |
| Thursday, Nov. 5 | Both, 9 and 10 p.m. ET (listed) | Listed, episode TBA | Not yet announced | Not yet announced |
| Thursday, Nov. 12 | Both, 9 and 10 p.m. ET (listed) | Listed, episode TBA | Not yet announced | Not yet announced |
| Thursday, Nov. 19 | Law & Order, 10 p.m. ET (listed) | Listed, episode TBA; SVU not listed | Not yet announced | Not yet announced |
| Thursday, Nov. 26 | Neither show | No new episode listed (NFL on NBC) | — | — |
| Thursday, Dec. 3 | Both, 9 and 10 p.m. ET (listed) | Listed, episode TBA | Not yet announced | Not yet announced |
NBC hasn't said how many episodes either season will run. For the other nights, we have pages for Chicago Med, Fire and P.D. on Wednesday, the three NCIS shows on Tuesday and FBI and CIA on Monday.
What time and channel are SVU and Law & Order on?
Both are on NBC on Thursdays, back to back. The NBC dramas we follow are grouped on the NBC page, and every show is on the new-tonight index.
| Detail | Law & Order: SVU | Law & Order |
|---|---|---|
| Network | NBC | NBC |
| Regular slot | Thursdays, 9 p.m. ET/PT (8 Central) | Thursdays, 10 p.m. ET/PT (9 Central) |
| Premiere | Season 28, Oct. 8 | Season 26, Oct. 8 |
| Watch live | Local NBC station | Local NBC station |
| Next-day streaming | Peacock | Peacock |
NBC Insider says new episodes of both shows are available on Peacock the day after they air. We haven't confirmed on peacocktv.com which plan is needed, so check there before you subscribe.
Who is in the cast this season?
NBC's Season 28 cast page for SVU lists seven names: Mariska Hargitay (Olivia Benson), Ice T (Fin Tutuola), Peter Scanavino (Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.), Kelli Giddish (Amanda Rollins), Kevin Kane (Terry Bruno), Aimé Donna Kelly (Renee Curry) and Corey Cott (Jake Griffin). For Law & Order, the network's principal cast includes Hugh Dancy (Nolan Price), Odelya Halevi (Samantha Maroun), Maura Tierney (Jessica Brady), Reid Scott (Vincent Riley) and David Ajala (Theo Walker). TVLine reported in July that Scott is leaving during Season 26 after some send-off episodes, with James Badge Dale joining as a senior detective.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't SVU on at 9 on some Thursdays?
Season 28 started on Oct. 8, so most Thursdays are new. The first Thursday without SVU in the listings is Nov. 19, and Thanksgiving night, Nov. 26, goes to football.
Can I watch SVU and Law & Order without cable?
An antenna picks up your local NBC station for free, and both shows reach Peacock the next day.
Sources
- The Futon Critic: Law & Order: SVU listings and Law & Order listings
- NBC episode releases for "Volition", "Ghost in the Machine", "Midway" and "Into the Mystic" (air dates, slots and loglines)
- NBC Insider: when Law & Order and SVU premiere in fall 2026 (9/8c and 10/9c, Peacock next day) and the Season 28 SVU cast
- TVmaze: Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order episode lists
- TV Insider: SVU Season 28 premiere photos (J. Smith-Cameron's role) and NBC Boston: 2026 NFL Thanksgiving schedule