Law & Order: Organized Crime Premiere Rollout Strategy Hints NBC Made a Mistake With Peacock Move

For years, broadcast networks have sent some of their most popular shows to streaming siblings.

CBS did it with Blood & Treasure, EVIL, and SEAL Team.

Two of those shows went on to have long lives on streaming following the end of their broadcast run.

When news broke last year that NBC passed on renewing Law & Order: Organized Crime ahead of its move to Peacock, there was a great deal of confusion.

The series’ fourth season was notably down compared to its third, but the numbers were still strong enough to keep it in the 10 p.m. slot for another season.

Despite vocal backlash from fans, Peacock announced earlier this month that Law & Order: Organized Crime will return for Season 5 on Thursday, April 17, with a two-episode drop.

So, you can only imagine our surprise when NBC announced this week that the season premiere had reclaimed its old timeslot, albeit for one week only.

Will Law & Order: Organized Crime on Peacock Be a Mistake?

The decision seems to be to get people’s attention on the new season before telling fans they’ll need to subscribe to Peacock to watch the rest of the season.

It’s hard to imagine NBC parting ways with the show if it wasn’t in contention for a Peacock pickup because it’s derived from a well-known IP, complete with one of the franchise’s most popular stars.

Law & Order: Organized Crime’s numbers were not disastrous last season, and its replacement this season, Found, has failed to reach the same numbers or buzz.

Found’s numbers aren’t bad either, so it’s a bit of a slap in the face to fans of the freshman drama that it’s being bumped from the schedule for a telecast of a show that’s been shifted to streaming.

The good news for Law & Order: Organized Crime is that it’s poised to stage a creative comeback amid significant changes behind the scenes after several ho-hum seasons.

The violent official trailer dropped Wednesday morning and showcased a hardened Stabler (Christopher Meloni), which we’re surprised is even possible after what he’s endured during his two decades on TV.

Peacock teases that Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 will focus on “the dangerous worlds of cross-border smuggling, high-tech domestic terrorism, and a crime family intent on repaying Stabler for the injury he did them in Rome.”

“As his worlds collide, Stabler will put everything on the line to protect the vulnerable and fight for justice,” the synopsis concludes.

Now that their shows are on different production schedules, it’s unclear whether Meloni will reunite with Law & Order: SVU castmate Mariska Hargitay.

Crossovers Could Be a Nightmare Going Forward

Crossovers will be trickier to pull off because, in the past, they’ve been heavily marketed and delivered some of each respective show’s best numbers of the year.

Is NBC sidelining a wealth of Law & Order fans by moving one of its most popular shows to the streaming world?

That will be determined, but for now, the decision was a bit short-sighted because the show could be just what NBC needs to shore up its Thursday schedule.

Check out the official trailer below.

What’s your take on the big changes coming to the franchise?

Are you ready to follow it to streaming?

Hit the comments below.

Watch Law & Order: Organized Crime Online

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