Prolific television producer Dick Wolf has signed a new overall deal with NBCUniversal that extends his relationship with the network through 2020. As a part of the deal, NBC has given an 18th season renewal for Law & Order: SVU as well as a pickup for the second season of Chicago Med. Wolf's other shows on the network - Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. - previously were renewed back in November 2015.
"Dick Wolf is without a doubt one of the greatest producers in the history of dramatic television," said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. "The Law & Order legacy would have been enough to set him apart from all the rest, but the Chicago franchise now kicks him into the stratosphere. He has been a defining voice of NBC for over a generation, and he is most welcome at this company forever."
Added Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment: "I'm personally thrilled to be working so closely with Dick, and on behalf of everyone a NBC and Universal Television we are so happy to extend our relationship with all the incredibly talented people at Wolf Entertainment. His brand is pure quality, and our continuing partnership is not only great for us but even better for broadcast television."
"I've been in the same office, with the same phone number, for 30 years. I'm glad people won't have to learn a new one," said Wolf. "Staying was really a foregone conclusion. My partnership with Bob has been the best relationship I've ever had with the head of a network. He has also assembled a great team of executives at both the network and the studio who make it possible for the Wolf Entertainment team to turn out multiple shows. It is truly a synergistic group effort that makes me enormously excited about both the present and the future."
So far this season, Law & Order: SVU has averaged a 2.8 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic and 10 million viewers, in Live+7 data. Meanwhile, Chicago Med has averaged a 2.8 rating and 11.3 million viewers, in the same metric.
Law & Order: SVU's current season stars Mariska Hargitay, Kelli Giddish, Ice-T, Peter Scanavino and Raúl Esparza.
Chicago Med stars Nick Gehlfuss, Torrey DeVitto, Yaya DaCosta, Rachel DiPillo, Colin Donnell, Brian Tee, S. Epatha Merkerson and Oliver Platt.
