Christopher Meloni Poised to Appear on Law & Order: SVU Season Premiere

Christopher Meloni is set to return to his old stomping grounds before leading his spinoff.

In a new episode of the show's behind-the-scenes podcast, Law & Order: SVU showrunner Warren Leight revealed that Meloni would likely be back as Elliot Stabler.

“It’s pretty clear that Elliot will be in the SVU season opener. I think that much I know.”

That's about as much confirmation as we need on the matter.

It makes sense, especially when you consider that Meloni was recently revealed to be leading the cast of a spinoff of the iconic NBC drama.

Thirteen episodes have been ordered for the series, and kicking off his storyline on SVU would be a good way to let fans know that Elliot is back in action.

The Law & Order franchise is a viable one for NBC, with the network recently gifting SVU a landmark three-season renewal that will keep it on the air until at least 2023.

As far as plot details go, they are scarce, aside from the fact that the show will focus on an NYPD organized crime unit led by Stabler.

NBC's plans for where to schedule the series have not been announced, but trimming the two-hour Thursday comedy block to one hour would be a good place to start.

Pairing the new iteration with the old would make for a fun night for fans.

Meloni appeared on SVU from the beginning right up until Season 12, with the actor exiting when contract negotiations fell through.

Stabler retired from the force, but there wasn't much of a goodbye on screen, with Olivia Benson learning the sad news around the same time fans did.

It was emotional, but it will be nice for fans to check back in with the beloved character on this new series.

What are your thoughts on this news?

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Remember you can watch Law & Order: SVU online right here via TV Fanatic.