In news that’s discouraging in the sense that it means that the world’s supply of horrific sex crimes is truly never-ending but encouraging in the sense that playing a dead body is one way to get your start as a TV actor, Deadline reports that NBC has renewed its long-running procedural Law & Order: SVU for a 19th season. That puts it just one season short of tying with the original Law & Order and Gunsmoke for the longest-running TV drama in broadcast history.
And it will most likely break that record, as NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke told Deadline back in January, “We don’t see a reason why SVU would go anywhere.” The reason the renewal was just announced, apparently, is that NBC was waiting on star Mariska Hargitay to finalize her deal for the new season. But considering Hargitay has been nominated for eight Emmys, six SAG awards, and two Golden Globes for her role as Lt. Olivia Benson, she’s probably not going anywhere, either.