Dick Wolf’s iconic TV procedurals are usually on NBC, but there is a good reason why FBI is on CBS instead. Wolf famously created franchises like Law & Order and Chicago One, both of which have gotten numerous spin-offs over the years. He’s created 32 TV shows over the course of his career.
Wolf is such a successful television creator, his spin-off, Law & Order: SVU, is the longest-running live-action primetime TV show on the air. The SVU pilot first aired back in 1999 and has been capturing the audience’s attention ever since. It’s no surprise the network, NBC, has greenlit countless other Wolf-led projects. He even has a special deal with the company.
NBC is such a fan of Wolf’s work, they even bought a show of his specifically for their streaming platform, Peacock. The series was announced in 2018 and was to be called Law & Order: Hate Crimes. Originally, the network announced they would air 13 episodes. Unfortunately, Law & Order: Hate Crimes was paused and still has not been released.
Wolf may have a history at NBC, but it’s not the only network he currently works for. Wolf is a prolific television producer, and he has a good reason for not putting all of his eggs in one basket. Luckily, more shows mean even more content for fans to watch.
The FBI Franchise Is On CBS But One Chicago & Law & Order Are On NBC
FBI first aired in 2018. By that time, the Law & Order franchise was already massively successful, making Wolf a household name. Fans were used to seeing Wolf Entertainment shows on one specific network: NBC.
FBI changed that when it aired on CBS. While still honoring his deal with Universal Television, Wolf expanded his horizons and gave another network the opportunity to profit from his work. FBI is one of the most-watched shows on network TV, so CBS definitely made a good investment.
Wolf isn’t moving all of his shows over to a new network, though. The Law & Order franchise and Chicago One shows are still airing on NBC, with streaming available on Peacock. For fans of the FBI franchise who prefer to watch on a streaming service, Paramount+ has most of the episodes.
Wolf Entertainment Chose FBI To Be On CBS For Timeslot Purposes
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the reason Wolf chose CBS for FBI over NBC was simple; it came down to timeslots. In Wolf’s own words, “There was no more beachfront real estate at NBC.” Plus, NBC was still able to profit off of FBI.
Because of Wolf’s deal with Universal Television, the NBC-owned production company is still involved with FBI’s creation. This allows NBC to work on Wolf’s project without being the one to actually air the show. The deal obviously makes sense for CBS, as it brings Wolf’s fanbase directly to the network, and what a large fan base it is.
According to the Chairman of the Universal Studio Group, Pearlena Igbokwe, “it’s a safe bet that almost every adult in the United States has viewed at least one episode of a Dick Wolf show at some point in their life.” Her statement rings true; Wolf has created thousands of hours of television, so it makes sense that one network wouldn’t be able to air every single one of his shows.
This is especially true considering NBC doesn’t only air Wolf Entertainment properties, nor does the network stick with one genre. NBC also airs popular sitcoms, such as St. Denis Medical and Night Court. While these shows don’t get quite the same viewership as, say, Law & Order: SVU, they are still very popular. NBC renewed both shows for more seasons.
The FBI Shows Are Still Part Of Dick Wolf’s Universe (Despite Being On A Different Network)
To date, there hasn’t been a crossover between the FBI franchise and the Law & Order franchise. Yet, we still know these two shows exist in the same universe. Even though these shows live on different networks, we may see a crossover episode in the future.
Wolf Entertainment shows have done crossovers in the past. On Law & Order: SVU season 16, an episode titled “Chicago Crossover,” the SVU team met up with the Chicago P.D. Intelligence Unit to solve a decades-old case. Another Wolf Entertainment show was also involved in this episode.
The case was originally discovered by the Chicago Fire team, and was then handed over to the Chicago P.D. officers. Their investigation led them to Manhattan and, therefore, to the SVU characters. The episode was watched by over 10 million viewers, making it the second-ranked program in its timeslot.
Chicago P.D. has also done a crossover episode with FBI. In FBI season 2, Chicago P.D. detective Hailey Upton, played by Tracy Spiridakos, investigates a case with Omar as her partner. Since these two shows exist in the same universe, and Chicago P.D. and SVU do as well, SVU and FBI must also live in the same timeline.
Given the success of past crossover episodes, we can hope to see a Law & Order: SVU and FBI crossover in the future. So far, no announcements have been made. Still, it’s safe to hold out hope it will happen eventually.
