When you talk about long-running franchises that are showing no signs of slowing down, Law & Order has to be at the top, with the original series’ 35th anniversary honored at the 2025 Emmys with SVU‘s Mariska Hargitay, Organized Crime‘s Christopher Meloni, Tony Goldwyn, and more on hand.
Joining Hargitay, Meloni, and Goldwyn on stage were Ice T and S. Epatha Merkerson, and they all paid homage to Hargitay’s prolificacy in the leading role for the show.
After the iconic dun-dun Law & Order music ushered them in, Ice T said, “That’s the sound my phone makes when Mariska calls me.”
“We are your Law & Order dream team, icons, veterans, survivors of so many rooftop chasings.”
“And we’re all here tonight with one clear mission,” Merkerson said, with Goldwyn adding, “To remind you that Mariska Hargitay has solved more fictional crimes than most precincts.”
“She’s been on SVU for 27 years,” Merkerson continued. “That’s longer than some of you have been in therapy because of SVU.”
“And don’t let the compassion fool you. Olivia Benson will hug a victim and then knock out a perp before lunch,” Meloni added.
Harigtay then noted they were on hand to deliver the final award of the night, for Outstanding Drama Series to The Pitt, noting, “This isn’t the Mariska lifetime achievement roast.”
“Wait a minute,” Ice T said, feigning surprise. “This isn’t the Marsika lifetime achievement roast?”
On the red carpet prior to the award show, Ice T talked about the longevity of SVU. “I went on this show to do four episodes. Four episodes, and now it’s Season 27 and counting. And I think the show will go as long as Mariska wants to continue to do the show,” he said. “It’s got a hook in the fans. The fans love us. I think because SVU is not only entertainment, it’s therapy to a lot of people. We’re dealing with real issues and our fan base, the victims are still alive. And so a lot of people watch our show and they see maybe justice that they didn’t see in their life. So it’s a different type of entertainment and therapy type show and we’re glad people enjoy it.”
Also on the red carpet, Tony Goldwyn shared why fans are still tuning in to the franchise. “I think it’s a combination of three things. I think Dick Wolf came up with this brilliant idea of having a cop show and a law show blended into one. The writing, number two, they care so much about the writing, so the writing is always smart and thoughtful and current. And then they have all these great actors,” he said. ‘The casts are so great, There’s amazing guest actors that come on. That combination just keeps the quality up and it’s been able to not only survive, but prevail.”
Back in 2022, Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni teased fans with an almost kiss while presenting at the Emmys. Their characters, Captain Olivia Benson and Detective Elliot Stabler, have almost kissed as well onscreen, and that (very long) slow burn continues, though SVU Season 27 set photos do seem to tease something happening.
The Law & Order franchise will once again be taking over Thursday nights this fall, starting on Thursday, September 25. First up is the Law & Order Season 25 premiere, followed by SVU‘s Season 27 premiere. Then, Organized Crime Season 5, which has already been released on Peacock, will air.
What did you think of the Law & Order celebration at the 2025 Emmys? Let us know in the comments section below.
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