NBC has ordered a 13 episode season of Law & Order: Hate Crimes from executive producer Dick Wolf. The timely, just-announced series is a Universal Television production and is inspired by New York’s Hate Crimes Task Force.
Dick Wolf co-created Law & Order: Hate Crimes with Warren Leight (former showrunner of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit). Wolf, Leight, Peter Jankowski, Michael Chernuchin, Julie Martin, Mariska Hargitay, Alex Chapple, and Arthur Forney will serve as executive producers.
According to the network, the new Hate Crimes Unit will be introduced during the 20th season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
“As Law & Order: SVU enters its remarkable 20th season, it is exciting to get back into business with Dick Wolf on a new Law & Order incarnation that feels extremely timely,” stated Lisa Katz, Co-President of Scripted Programming, NBC Entertainment. “Considering that last year there was a double-digit rise in hate crimes in our 10 largest cities — the highest total in over a decade — it seemed like this topic is begging to be explored.”
NBC Entertainment Co-President of Scripted Programming Tracey Pakosta said, “We’re confident that Dick and Warren will examine these cases in all their complexity and deliver another riveting series for our country, currently grappling with an escalation of these crimes and the motivations behind them.”
“As with all of my crime shows, I want to depict what’s really going on in our cities and shine a light on the wide-ranging victims and show that justice can prevail,” explained Dick Wolf. “Twenty years ago when SVU began, very few people felt comfortable coming forward and reporting these crimes, but when you bring the stories into people’s living rooms – with characters as empathetic as Olivia Benson – a real dialogue can begin. That’s what I hope we can do with this new show in a world where hate crimes have reached an egregious level.”
“I’m extremely impressed by the actual men and women investigating these cases in a city as complicated and diverse as New York,” said co-creator Warren Leight. “The work they are doing puts them on the front lines in a battle for the soul of our city and nation. I’m thrilled about the chance to reunite with Dick and NBC to portray the reality of this crisis.”
The Plot: Law & Order: Hate Crimes is set in New York City, where crimes motivated by discrimination are vigorously investigated by an elite, specially trained team of investigators. Going behind the headlines and viral videos, these diverse, dedicated and passionate detectives will stop at nothing to bring these criminals to justice.
