NBC orders 14th season of Dick Wolf’s ‘Law & Order: SVU’

Mariska Hargitay on “Law & Order: SVU” (HO - REUTERS) Dick Wolf's back and NBC's still got him.

NBC has renewed “Law & Order: SVU” for a 14th season because it averaged nearly 8 million viewers and these days that's a good crowd for NBC, because it is the network's sixth most watched show, behind only Sunday football, two nights of “The Voice,” “Harry's Law” and “Smash,” and because it averages more 18-49 year olds who are the currency of NBC's ad sales than “Community," “30 Rock,” “Parks &Recreation,” “Awake,” “Grimm,” “Are You There, Chelsea?”, “Grimm,” and “Fashion Star.”

“L&O:SVU" is so old it harkens back to the day when “Friends” and 'Frasier“ and “ER“ were still part of NBC's lineup, and the network was a ratings force to be reckoned with.

NBC also has ordered a new Dick Wolf series “Chicago Fire” about well, Chicago, and fire, and men and women who heroically put them out there.

“Chicago Fire” cast (NBC - SANDRO/NBC) It stars Jesse Spencer, so it's a good thing Fox decided to put “House” out of its misery this month, because he stars inthat show too.

Plus, Wolf already had an order from NBC for a new reality series he's producing with “The Voice” exec producer Mark Burnett, and “Fear Factor” exec producer David Hurwitz, called “Stars Earn Stripes.”

In this series, celebrities will engage in elite training at a “secret” military training facility before attempting to complete some real exercises practiced by all five branches of the armed services — as well as joint ops and Special Forces — like staging a hostage rescue. Each week, one celebrity will get whacked, and somehow it' s all going to raise cash for charities that support men and women in uniform.

Mark Burnett is quoted as having said “‘Stars Earns Stripes’ is a high energy, fun, action show, but at its heart it is all about these five words: ”Thank you for your service'.”

The renewal and pick up are part of a larger deal Wolf struck with Comcast division NBC Universal, where Wolf's production shingle been hung since his “Law &Order” franchise was born, only back then it was Universal TV.