Why is Law & Order: SVU not new tonight, April 25?

In its silver anniversary run, Law & Order: SVU remains a staple in primetime as evidenced by its loyal fanbase. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her team, recently retooled with some new faces, solve some of the most provocative cases in New York City, keeping viewers captivated as they do. As great as Law & Order: SVU season 25 has been so far, fans will have to exercise some patience as no new episode airs tonight, April 25.

Law & Order Thursdays as a whole is taking a break from airing new episodes as Law & Order season 23 and Law & Order: Organized Crime season 4 join Law & Order: SVU in not debuting new episodes tonight. NBC is opting to air reruns of each show in their usual timeslots instead.

As of publication, we don't have a concrete reason as to why Law & Order: SVU and its sister shows aren't airing new episodes this week. However, if we were to guess, we think the powers that be at NBC opted to give the Dick Wolf shows a break expecting many people to tune into the 2024 NFL Draft, which begins at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on ABC and other channels.

It's also worth mentioning that like many network TV shows this season, Law & Order: SVU only has a limited number of episodes this go-around due to the writers' and actors' strikes last year. Because of the strikes, many shows like the ones in NBC's Thursday night lineup have been taking more routine breaks in releasing new episodes to stretch the seasons and help ensure they wrap in the usual end-of-season TV timeframe between late April and May.

With all that being said, Law & Order: SVU and the rest of the Law & Order shows are back with new episodes on May 2. Here is a look at what you can expect to see when Law & Order: SVU returns with the episode "Prima Nocta," which also welcomes back Kelli Giddish as Amanda Rollins:

"A runaway bride calls the SVU for help on the day of her wedding; Rollins pitches in on her day off."

If you missed any new episodes this season of Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU or Law & Organized: Crime, you can watch them on Peacock.