Law & Order fans can now mark their calendars for a new addition to the franchise making its way over to the United States over a year after its international premiere.
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, a spin-off of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, has now been given a premiere date for its airing on The CW, set to premiere with its fall schedule on September 24, per Deadline.
The series first premiered on the Canadian broadcaster Citytv in February 2024, becoming the #1 primetime drama of the year in Canada. It was renewed for a second and third season just a few short months later.
Starring Aden Young, Kathleen Munroe, K. C. Collins and Karen Robinson, the debut season received positive reviews and won three trophies at the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Drama Series.
Season two was released earlier this year on February 20, a 10-episode order like its predecessor, and aired its finale on May 15. The CW ordered for the first two seasons to air on the network, with season one arriving this fall and season two in 2026.
The official logline for the series follows the “Specialized Criminal Investigations Unit’s detective duo, Detective Sergeants Henry Graff (Young) and Frankie Bateman (Munroe), as they investigate high-profile homicides in Canada’s largest metropolis.”
© Getty Images“Their unique investigative skills are showcased through psychological tactics, with a heavy focus on the motives and actions of the criminals. These cases delve into the worlds of high finance, politics, real estate, media, and more.”
Last month, when the CW announced it would be picking up the show for its American distribution, the network’s President Brad Schwartz shared in a statement: “Law & 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.”
© Getty ImagesWhile the show is part of the Dick Wolf-created Law & Order universe, it’s unclear if there will be any potential for crossovers. Its parent series, Law & Order: Criminal Intent was the second ever spin-off of the original Law & Order, following Special Victims Unit starring Mariska Hargitay in 1999.
Criminal Intent debuted in 2001, starring Kathryn Erbe, Vincent D’Onofrio, Courtney B. Vance and Jamey Sheridan for a majority of its run. Others like Chris Noth, Jeff Goldblum and Julianne Nicholson also played main characters for several seasons.
© Getty ImagesCriminal Intent came to a close a decade later in 2011 after a 10-season and nearly 200-episode long run. It is currently the third-longest part of the franchise as a whole, preceded only by the original Law & Order with 24 seasons, and Law & Order: SVU with 26 seasons.
The main show, SVU and Toronto: Criminal Intent join Law & Order: Organized Crime, starring Christopher Meloni, as the only current airing versions of the franchise. Other spin-offs like Hate Crimes and For the Defense have been touted by the showrunner and network in the past, although they have not yet come to fruition or entered production.
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