Dick Wolf is making another lateral move within his NBC drama series, with Chicago Justice‘s Michael S. Chernuchin taking the reins of veteran Law & Order: SVU as executive producer/showrunner for the upcoming 19th season. He is replacing Rick Eid, recently tapped to fill the showrunner vacancy on Wolf’s Chicago P.D.
Chernuchin, who served as executive producer/showrunner on Chicago Justice, became available after the NBC freshman drama was canceled earlier this week. This marks Chernuchin’s return to the Law & Order franchise after two stints as on flagship Law & Order, as a writer-producer from 1992-1996 and as showrunner from 2002-4. He also was an executive producer on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
NBC earlier this month renewed veteran crime drama Law & Order: SVU for a 19th season, one shy of the record for longest-running drama series, held jointly by Law & Order and Gunsmoke.
Created by Wolf, Law & Order: SVU chronicles the life and crimes of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who investigate sexually based crimes. Hargitay stars as Lt. Olivia Benson, acting commander of the SVU. Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino and Raul Esparza also star.
Hargitay has earned eight Emmy nominations for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the role, winning in 2006.
Chernuchin is repped by Paradigm, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and attorney Robert S. Getman.
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