NBC re-committed a third of its primetime lineup to procedural mastermind Dick Wolf on Monday. But in the process, the network seems to have pulled back from thoughts of forfeiting its 10 o'clock hour to its affiliates, at least for the 2023-24 TV season.
The network announced that all six of its Wolf Entertainment-produced procedural dramas will be back on its schedule in the fall, including Chicago P.D., the top broadcast drama in the 18-49 demo, and Law & Order: Organized Crime, both of which air at 10 p.m. (on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively).
The two other "Chicago" series, Chicago Med and Chicago Fire, were also renewed, as were the flagship Law & Order (for a 23rd season) and Law & Order: SVU (entering its 25th season).
All three "Chicago" shows rank in the top 10 among broadcast TV in both the demo and total viewers on a Live+7 Day basis, NBC said, citing Nielsen data. The three "Law & Order" series, meanwhile, have "reached 50 million viewers" this season across NBC and streaming service Peacock, the network added.
Last summer, NBC conceded to once again seriously pondering a retreat from the 10 p.m. hour, citing cost considerations
“While NBC is the number one network, we are always looking at strategies to ensure that our broadcast business remains as strong as possible,” NBC said in a statement released in August. “As a company, our advantage lies in our ability to provide audiences with the content they love across broadcast, cable and streaming.”
