Law & Order: SVU season 28 premieres on NBC on October 8, 2026.
Actress Mariska Hargitay opened up about the show’s longevity and how it stays relevant.
As Mariska Hargitay prepares for another season of Law & Order: SVU, she’s getting candid about the show’s longevity.
The season 28 premiere airs on Thursday, October 8, 2026, on NBC, with Mariska back as Olivia Benson. She’s played the SVU captain since 1999, and both she and the show have developed a legion of followers over the years.
As she told Good Housekeeping as part of her ongoing partnership with Purina’s Purple Leash Project, Mariska loves that the show pushes new boundaries each season.
“Every day you’re working to make something good, something great, something that feels new and not like you’re working off a blueprint that tells you how things have to be built,” she wrote via email.
This season, the show is celebrating a major milestone with its upcoming 600th episode in November. It will also welcome NBA star Jalen Brunson and Mariska’s former castmate Christopher Meloni as guest stars.
Mariska noted that she appreciates how the show always tries something new.
“I think that’s one of the exciting things about television, and about storytelling in general—there is no blueprint,” she added. “If there was, all you would need to do is follow it, and presto! You’ve built a successful show. But there are so many beautiful unknowns, so many intangibles and surprises that make something work. That’s what I love about it.”
We love this, and we can’t wait to tune in!
