NBC Announces Major Changes to Fall Schedule for the 2025-26 Season... 'Law & Order: Organized Crime' to Air in a Three-Part Thursday Special

NBC, one of the three major broadcast networks in the United States, has announced a significant revision to its fall schedule for the 2025-26 season. The most notable change is that the second-year drama 'The Hunting Party' has been removed from its original Thursday slot and extended to midseason.

In place of 'The Hunting Party', the latest season of 'Law & Order: Organized Crime', which aired on the streaming service Peacock this spring, will be scheduled. This will result in all three shows of the Law & Order franchise—original series, SVU, and Organized Crime—being concentrated on Thursday, creating an 'All Law & Order Night'. The integrated programming is set to begin on September 25.

However, the future of 'Organized Crime' on Peacock has not yet been determined, and the situation has become complicated as lead actor Christopher Meloni was recently cast in a Hulu series. Industry insiders have reported that he may be able to work on both programs simultaneously.

There are analyses suggesting that the midseason delay for 'The Hunting Party' could actually be an opportunity. The midseason scheduling will coincide with the end of the NFL season, and NBC holds the broadcast rights for the 2026 Super Bowl, which could provide significant promotional benefits. Additionally, in February, the Winter Olympics will occupy most of NBC's schedule, allowing for linked promotions.

NBC has also put on hold the late fall scheduling of the recently ordered comedy series 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins' and 'Stumble On'. Instead, the second-year programs 'St. Denis Medical' (Monday) and 'Happy's Place' (Friday) will air twice a week starting in early November. However, this plan may change depending on the production progress of the new programs.

The return dates for existing programs have also been confirmed. 'The Voice' and 'Brilliant Minds' will return to Monday programming starting September 22. The Chicago trilogy will debut on October 1, and the marketing competition program 'On Brand', hosted by Jimmy Fallon, will air on Tuesdays and Fridays starting September 30, then will only be broadcast on Fridays from October.

There are also significant changes in sports content. NBC's NBA broadcast contract will officially begin on the season opening day, October 21, and the iconic American comedy 'Saturday Night Live (SNL)' will start its 51st season on October 4.

This scheduling change is interpreted as NBC's strategy to focus viewer interest by leveraging its existing successful franchises in a competitive landscape with streaming services. In particular, the integrated Thursday scheduling of the Law & Order series seems aimed at securing stable ratings based on its loyal fan base.