Christopher Meloni leaving Law & Order SVU

[Groo The Perverted]

This show is officially going to end next year, I predict.

Not only is Meloni reportedly leaving the show due to a contract dispute, but Hargitay will only be in a "supervisor" role in show (perhaps a captain or something?) and rumor has it they're bringing in Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Yep. Next year will probably be it's last, if those things happen.

Personally I always envisioned the perfect ending to this show (prior to them cancelling the original L&O) as such:

Stabler ends up beating a pedophile to death in interrogation or wherever, and ends up going on trial. They could have done a cross-over with the regular L&O show/cast as he's being prosecuted.

That would have been a cool way to end the show, in my opinion.

There has been some chatter in recent weeks about whether or not Chris Meloni, known for his role as Detective Stabler on Law & Order: SVU, would be returning for the show’s 13th season. It has been reported by TV Line that he is in fact leaving the show. This would mean the show would be losing one of it’s most beloved characters, and one that has been around since the show’s inception in 1999.

It has not been a good year for the Law & Order franchise. The original series was cancelled after 20 seasons, falling just short of breaking the record for longest running scripted show. Law & Order: Criminal Intent was announced to be ending after its current season (which airs on USA Network). NBC cancelled Law & Order: LA after just one season after poor ratings and questionable cast decisions. Now SVU, which currently is the most popular of the franchise, is losing a lead character.

There has been no further developments regarding if the show will give him a proper send off or if he’ll appear at all in its 13th season. Given the ending to this season, it can very well work with him not appearing, but obviously fans will be missing him. Then again, turnover on these types of shows is not out of the ordinary. How many cast changes did the original series go through?

Fear not though fans, as earlier this year Warren Leight signed on as showrunner for next Fall. For the unaware, Leight was the showrunner of such shows as Lights Out, In Treatment, and also Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He signed on after the cancellation of Lights Out by FX to replace Neal Baer. The news regarding Meloni has not been confirmed by NBC but you know how this goes.

What do you say fans, will the loss of Stabler lose your viewership? Warren Leight knows how to a run a show properly, so chances are it will recover. Sound off below.