Law & Order

1990 • TMDB 7.3 • 26 seasons • 549 episodes • Crime, Drama • NBC

Where to Watch

In the US, Law & Order streams on Hulu, with 20 seasons, Peacock Premium and Peacock Premium Plus, with 9 seasons each, Philo and NBC, with 6 seasons each, and Netflix, with 5 seasons. It is also available to buy on Fandango At Home, Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. Availability checked against US listings on October 29, 2026.

Overview

Law & Order built television’s most durable procedural by splitting every story in two. The first half follows New York detectives through the streets, the evidence and the interrogation room; the second moves into the courtroom, where prosecutors must turn that investigation into a case that survives cross-examination. Ripped from the headlines, its cases feel close to real life, and the show never flinches from the uncomfortable questions they raise about justice, power and compromise. Across three decades and a rotating cast of detectives, lawyers and judges, the format stayed remarkably steady, which is exactly why it lasted: viewers know the rhythm, but never quite know how a case will end. It is the rare long-running drama that feels both comfortingly familiar and still capable of surprising you.

Creator and Main Cast

Law & Order was created by Dick Wolf. The main cast includes:

• Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy (405 episodes)
• S. Epatha Merkerson as Anita Van Buren (391 episodes)
• Jerry Orbach as Lennie Briscoe (274 episodes)
• Steven Hill as Adam Schiff (229 episodes)
• Jesse L. Martin as Ed Green (202 episodes)
• Leslie Hendrix as Elizabeth Rodgers (142 episodes)
• Fred Thompson as Arthur Branch (116 episodes)

Seasons Snapshot

• Season 1 — 22 episodes (1990)
• Season 10 — 24 episodes (1999)
• Season 20 — 23 episodes (2009)
• Season 26 — 5 episodes (2026)

The series ran for 26 seasons from 1990 to 2026, plus 7 Specials episodes.

Why Watch Law & Order?

• The original two-act structure that pairs police investigation with courtroom drama in every episode.
• Sam Waterston’s commanding Jack McCoy anchoring the show’s legal half for hundreds of episodes.
• Jerry Orbach’s dry-witted Lennie Briscoe, one of TV’s most beloved detectives.
• Headline-inspired cases that tackle real moral and legal dilemmas without easy answers.
• A landmark franchise that shaped the modern procedural and still draws new viewers decades on.

Trailer

Watch the official first look on YouTube: First Look | A Law & Order Premiere Event | NBC (Law & Order)