Facts About Law & Order: SVU That Are Making People Rethink The Entire Show
Dun dun — with just two notes, you're already hooked. For almost 25 years, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has served as the quintessential police procedural. It has captivated us week after week with raw emotion, puzzling crimes, and heart-stopping action. But even if you've been along for the ride since the first episode back in 1999, you'll want to re-watch every one after learning these little-known SVU facts. Only this time, you'll be watching through the eyes of a true detective.
1. Detective John Munch was around long before SVU
Richard Belzer — who passed away on February 19, 2023 — first embodied the part of Detective John Munch for NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street in 1993. The character made two guest appearances in the original Law & Order before Homicide ended in 1999. Munch then immediately went into the SVU.
2. John Munch has appeared on more TV shows than any other character
Richard Belzer's character John Munch didn't just appear in Law & Order and Homicide. The character has actually shown his face in nine different TV shows on five different networks. You may have seen him in 3rd Rock From the Sun, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, The Wire, The X-Files, or The Beat. That's in addition to the 230+ episodes of SVU.
3. Mariska Hargitay had a change of heart
For the first nine seasons of SVU, Mariska Hargitay insisted on doing her own stunts. But in December 2008, she suffered a hard fall on set — and it left her with a partially collapsed lung. “I jumped and landed on pads, but on the second take something happened. I just landed wrong,” Hargitay explained to Redbook.
4. It once had a much more provocative name
Before it was the longest-running live-action series on primetime, Law & Order: SVU was originally called Sex Crimes. The studio, however, felt this title might be too off-putting, and showrunner Dick Wolf wanted to incorporate the series into the greater Law & Order universe. Law & Order: Sex Crimes was suggested before they settled on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
