Where to start
Law & Order
4 versions · originally a series, 1990
Themes: Justice, Moral ambiguity, Systemic corruption, Ripped from the headlines, Partnership.
The Law & Order franchise offers a clinical, procedural look at the New York City criminal justice system's relentless pursuit of justice.
✦ Most fans start here
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
The original tv
Law & Order
Dick Wolf · Series · 1990
Law & Order (1990) establishes the franchise's signature split-structure, balancing gritty police investigations with the rigorous legal maneuvers of the district attorney's office to build a compelling case for conviction.
1999 series
✦ Start hereLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit
Dick Wolf · Series · 1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) focuses on the specialized, high-stakes investigations of sexually-based offenses, providing a more character-driven and intense look at the detectives within an elite NYC squad.
2001 series
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Dick Wolf · Series · 2001
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) shifts the perspective toward psychological analysis, following the Major Case Squad as they delve into the complex minds of perpetrators to solve their most challenging crimes.
2021 series
Law & Order: Organized Crime
Dick Wolf · Series · 2021
Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021) centers on the Organized Crime Control Bureau's efforts to dismantle vast, violent illegal enterprises, offering a more focused look at long-term, high-level criminal investigations in New York.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Law & Order series in?
You can begin with the original Law & Order from 1990. Following that, you may watch the spin-offs in their debut order: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit released in 1999, Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2001, and Law & Order: Organized Crime in 2021.
Is Law & Order: Special Victims Unit a direct sequel to the original series?
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is a spin-off of the original 1990 Law & Order series. It shares the same procedural universe but focuses on a different unit within the police department rather than continuing the specific narrative of the original show.
How many Law & Order spin-offs are available to watch?
There are three primary spin-offs of the original Law & Order series. These include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which premiered in 1999, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which debuted in 2001, and Law & Order: Organized Crime, which was released in 2021.
Are Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Organized Crime part of the same franchise?
Yes, both Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Organized Crime are official entries in the Law & Order franchise. They are spin-offs derived from the original 1990 Law & Order television series and maintain the procedural format established by the parent show.