"Dick Wolf"

1999 · 27 Seasons · NBC · Crime, Drama, Procedural

Law & Order: SVU has earned its place as the longest-running live-action primetime series in American television through Mariska Hargitay's powerhouse performance and a willingness to tackle subject matter most shows avoid entirely. The quality has fluctuated across 27 seasons, with the middle years representing a creative peak that later seasons have struggled to match. But even at its most formulaic, SVU connects with audiences because it treats its victims with a seriousness and empathy that remains rare on network television.

1990 · 25 Seasons · NBC · Crime / Legal Drama

The show that perfected the procedural format and proved that television doesn't need serialized storytelling to be compelling. Dick Wolf's split-screen approach, half police investigation, half courtroom prosecution, became one of the most durable formulas in television history, generating 25 seasons, over 500 episodes, and a franchise that reshaped network television. The rotating cast keeps things fresh, the 'ripped from the headlines' approach gives the show an evergreen quality, and the famous two-note 'dun dun' sound became the most recognizable audio cue in television. Not every era is equal, but the formula has proven nearly indestructible.