Another network will be getting in on the Law and Order action in fall 2025.

For 35 years and counting, Law and Order has been the television gift that keeps on giving. The NBC police procedural has produced seemingly endless spinoffs, the most popular and successful obviously being the enduring classic Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. This fall, the franchise receives another spinoff series stateside, but fans won’t be watching it on NBC.

On May 13, The CW announced the pickup of the Canadian series Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, which will debut on the network’s fall 2025 schedule. The CW picked up the two 10-episode seasons that have already aired in Canada on Citytv. It’s unclear whether the network will aired the seasons back-to-back throughout the 2025-2026 television season.

Technically, the latest Law and Order offshoot isn’t a new series. Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent made its premiere on Citytv in February 2024, and the series became an instant hit for its home network. By June 2024, Citytv renewed the series for second and third seasons. While season 3 has yet to air in Canada (and be picked up by The CW), season 2 airs its finale on May 15.

Since this fall will mark the show’s first time airing in the United States, a lot of American viewers are likely unfamiliar with the series. Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent stars Aden Young and Kathleen Munroe as Detective Sergeants Henry Graff and Frankie Bateman respectively. The duo investigates homicides in Toronto to solve crimes in various facets of society.

Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent picked up by The CW

In its new era of programming in recent years, The CW has become no stranger to picking up popular Canadian shows to air on the network. Some of The CW’s current shows include favorites from Canada, like Sullivan’s Crossing, Family Law, and Wild Cards, which was just renewed for seasons 3 and 4 in its home country and still awaits a pickup from its American homebase.

It’s become part of The CW’s cost-cutting strategy to acquire shows, which has completely changed the shape of the network and made it otherwise unrecognizable to the fans who grew up watching it since its debut in 2006. But the powers that be at the network continue to push forward with the network’s new branding and era, which this latest Law and Order series contributes to:

“Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is the next gripping chapter of one of the greatest and most recognizable broadcast television brands of all time, and we can’t wait to bring this series to The CW this fall.” —Brad Schwartz, President, The CW Network

While some Law and Order loyalists might be bummed about the Toronto offshoot not coming to NBC, or confused how the franchise could extend to The CW, this is actually a solid move for The CW. Getting the Law and Order brand on broadcast’s smallest network (and one that’s still struggling, let’s be honest here) is nothing short of a major feat. Viewers will see that title and (hopefully) tune in.

Besides, Toronto: Criminal Intent isn’t connected to the greater lore of the American franchise, so we shouldn’t be concerned with the brand being split across two different broadcast networks. We’re not going to see any crossover events in the near future. Olivia Benson more than likely won’t be traveling to Toronto anytime soon. But it’s still an exciting time to be a Law and Order fan!