“Law & Order ”Season 26“ ”Release Schedule: What Time Do Episodes Come Out?

Emily BlackwoodThu, October 15, 2026 at 9:00 PM UTC

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Odelya Halevi and Hugh Dancy in ‘Law & Order’Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBCNBC’s ‘Law & Order’ kicked off its 26th season with a new time slot on Thursday, Oct. 8 -

Season 26 of Law & Order premiered on Thursday, Oct. 8

The long-running procedural airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET following Law & Order: SVU

Reid Scott will exit the series on-screen as Detective Vincent Riley in the Oct. 15 episode

Law & Order is back to delivering justice on Thursday nights — just a little later than usual.

The NBC series premiered its 26th season on Thursday, Oct. 8, moving from its usual 8 p.m. ET time slot to 10 p.m. ET to make room for the reality series The Traitors, according to Deadline.

“When you have shows that are as compatible, obviously, as the two Law & Order shows are, it’s an easier marketing lift,” Jeff Bader, NBCUniversal’s president of program planning strategy, told the outlet in May 2026. “We know that we will improve our 10 o’clock time period, it just was a very easy decision.”

The move marks the first time Law & Order has changed time slots since its 2022 revival. It now airs after its spinoff, Law & Order: SVU, which premiered its 28th season on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 9 p.m. ET.

Here’s what to know about the Law & Order season 26 release schedule.

When did Law & Order season 26 premiere?

Maura Tierney in ‘Law & Order’Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC

The 26th season of Law & Order kicked off on Thursday, Oct. 8 with what showrunner Rick Eid promised would be the first of several “controversial and provocative” cases in an August 2026 interview with Give Me My Remote.

Titled “Ghost in the Machine,” the season 26 premiere followed the 27th Precinct as they prosecuted the alleged murder of an engineer orchestrated by the AI system he worked on. Mad Men alum Vincent Kartheiser guest-starred in the episode, playing a tech CEO.

Beyond the courtroom, this season will also see a major cast shake-up with the departure of Detective Vincent Riley, who has been played by Reid Scott since 2024. The character’s exit is set for the Oct. 15 episode, with Eid teasing an “emotional and powerful” sendoff to TV Insider in September 2026. James Badge Dale will replace Scott’s role in the series as Detective Rob Calvino.

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How many episodes are in Law & Order season 26?

NBC has not confirmed how many episodes will be in Law & Order‘s 26th season.

Recent installments have featured an average of 20 to 22 episodes, and Deadlinereported in May 2026 that the mothership series was expected to produce a full season.

Lisa Katz, president of scripted content at NBCUniversal television and streaming, told the outlet that despite “budget concerns,” she wasn’t aware of any “drastic” changes coming to the procedural.

What is the release schedule for Law & Order season 26?

David Ajala and Reid Scott in ‘Law & Order’Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC

NBC aired the first episode of Law & Order on Thursday, Oct. 8 and will continue to debut new episodes every Thursday until the season 26 finale. However, there could be a break in the season during the holidays.

Here is the release schedule for Law & Order season 26 so far, according to TV Guide:

Oct. 8: “Ghost in the Machine”

Oct. 15: “Into the Mystic”

Oct. 22: “Bad News”

Oct. 29: “Property”

Nov. 5: Episode 5

What time do new episodes of Law & Order season 26 air?

New episodes of Law & Order will air at 10 p.m. ET.

Where can I watch Law & Order?

Tony Goldwyn in ‘Law & Order’Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC

Past seasons are available to stream on Peacock, Hulu and Netflix.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”