Law & Order: Special Victims Unitsets a historic first with its new showrunner as a season 27 renewal is expected to come soon. Created by Dick Wolf, the NBC series stars Mariska Hargitay as Captain Olivia Benson of the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit, which investigates and prosecutes sexually-based crimes. Premiered in 1999,SVUis the longest-running series in theLaw & Orderfranchiseand has had eight different showrunners throughout its history, starting with Robert Palm and most recently, David Graziano.
Now, as first reported byDeadline,Law & Order: SVUhas named Michele Fazekas as its first female showrunnerin series history. She will take over the top spot from Graziano, who has served as showrunner for the past three seasons and will finish the current season 26 before being replaced by Fazekas. WhileLaw & Order: SVUhas not yet been officially renewed for season 27, it is widely expected to be in the coming weeks.
What Law & Order: SVU’s First Female Showrunner Means For The Show
Who Is Michele Fazekas?
Michele Fazekas will take over the top spot asLaw & Order: SVUshowrunner with much experience.She previously contributed to the series as a writer and co-executive producerfrom 2001 to 2006. Fazekas, with her longtime writing and producing partner Tara Butters, recently served as co-showrunners forThe BoysspinoffGen V. It was previously reported that Fazekas would act as the sole showrunner for season 2 following Butters' decision to step down, though it’s unclear if that is still the case after being namedLaw & Order: SVUshowrunner.
Law & Order: SVU Season 27 - Confirmation, Cast, Story & Everything We Know
The long-running procedural Law & Order: Special Victims Unit returned for its landmark 26th season in 2024, but will it return for season 27?
Together, Fazekas and Butters have also created series such as The CW’sReaper, ABC’sEmergence, andKevin (Probably) Saves the World. They also served as co-showrunners on Marvel’sAgent Carterand as executive producers onResurrection, both also on ABC. Additionally, their television work includes contributions to procedurals such as CBS’sHawaii Five-OandNCIS: Los Angeles. ThoughLaw & Order: SVUis Fazekas' first stint as a solo showrunner without Butters, she is still entering the position with a wealth of experience.
Our Take On Law & Order: SVU’s First Female Showrunner
It Seems Long Overdue
It’s surprising that it took26 seasons forLaw & Order: SVU, a show centered on justice that often highlights gender disparities, to finally have its first female showrunner. Michele Fazekas' appointment seems long overdue, especially given the show’s focus on strong female characters like Olivia Benson. Fazekas being namedLaw & Order: SVU’s first female showrunner marks an important milestone, but also serves as a reminder of the persistent barriers that women still face in the television industry.
