The It List guide to the Dick Wolf universe of high-octane procedurals and spin-offs

I recommend it for fans who enjoy seeing their favorite characters interact with each other, as the shows often air crossover events.

Chicago Med

• When: Chicago Med Season 9B begins January 8 at 8 PM ET on NBC.

• What you need to know: Each episode focuses on the doctors, nurses and other hospital staff who work to save the lives of patients in the emergency department at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.

• Notable stars from the past and present: Nick Gehlfuss, Yaya DaCosta, Torrey DeVitto, Rachel DiPillo, Colin Donnell, Brian Tee, S. Epatha Merkerson, Oliver Platt, Marlyne Barrett, Norma Kuhling, Dominic Rains, Steven Weber, Guy Lockard, Kristen Hager, Jessy Schram, Luke Mitchell, Sarah Ramos and Darren Barnet

Chicago fire

• When: Chicago fire Season 12B begins January 8 at 9 PM ET on NBC.

• What you need to know: The series explores the professional and personal lives of Chicago firefighters, rescue personnel and paramedics. It was the first of One Chicago franchise in the air, which later inspired two interconnected spin-offs.

• Notable stars from the past and present: Jesse Spencer, Taylor Kinney, Monica Raymund, Lauren German, Charlie Barnett, David Eigenberg, Teri Reeves, Eamonn Walker, Yuri Sardarov, Christian Stolte, Joe Miñoso, Kara Killmer, Dora Madison Burge, Steven R. McQueen, Miranda Rae Mayo, Annie Ilonzeh, Alberto Rosende, Daniel Kyri, Adriyan Rae, Hanako Greensmith, Jake Lockett, Jocelyn Hudon and Dermot Mulroney

Chicago police

• When: Chicago police Season 11B begins January 8 at 10pm ET on NBC.

• What you need to know: The show follows uniformed police officers and the intelligence unit of the city’s police department. It had a short-lived spin-off called Chicago Justice which followed the prosecutors and investigators and lasted one season.

• Notable stars from the past and present: Jason Beghe, Jon Seda, Sophia Bush, Jesse Lee Soffer, Patrick John Flueger, Marina Squerciati, LaRoyce Hawkins, Archie Kao, Elias Koteas, Amy Morton, Brian Geraghty, Tracy Spiridakos, Lisseth Chavez, Benjamin Levy Aguilar and Toya Turner

On call

On call is the only new show on the list, as well as the only half-hour drama and the only streaming-first release. The series was co-created by Dick Wolf’s son, Elliot Wolf Chicago police executive producer Tim Walsh.

I recommend this one for experienced procedural fans looking for faster, more emotionally intense episodes.

• When: All eight episodes of On call Season 1 begins streaming on Prime Video on January 9.

• What you need to know: The series follows officers on patrol in Long Beach, California. The series features bodycam and dashcam footage and bypasses the traditional procedural format by refusing to resolve storylines at the end of an episode.

• Notable stars: Troian Bellisario, Brandon Larracuente, Lori Loughlin, Rich Ting and Eriq La Salle

Law and order

The Law and order franchise is Dick Wolf’s largest and longest-running franchise, known for its “ripped-from-the-headlines” stories and procedural episode format. The episodes air on Thursdays and, with the exception of a new Canadian spin-off, have a significant back catalog available to stream on Peacock.

There are a few one-season wonders in the Law and order universe: Law and order True crime, which is streaming on Peacock, as well Law & Order: jury trials And Law and order: LA, that are available for purchase, but not for streaming. Law and order: criminal intent ended in 2011 after 10 seasons, all of which are now available to stream on Peacock.

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I recommend the Law and order franchise for anyone fascinated by the criminal justice system or in need of a background show.

Law and order

• When: Law and order Season 24B begins January 16 at 8 PM ET on NBC.

• What you need to know: The original New York City series began in 1990 and aired until 2010, then returned in 2022 with a renewed cast and a few returning characters. It follows law enforcement officers as they investigate a serious crime – usually murder – and then move on to prosecuting the crime in court.

• Notable stars from the past and present: Chris Noth, Dann Florek, Michael Moriarty, Steven Hill, Paul Sorvino, Jerry Orbach, Carolyn McCormick, S. Epatha Merkerson, Sam Waterston, Angie Harmon, Jesse L. Martin, Elisabeth Röhm, Fred Thompson, Anthony Anderson, Hugh Dancy, Odelya Halevi, Reid Scott, Tony Goldwyn and Maura Tierney

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

• When: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Season 26B begins January 16 at 9 PM ET on NBC.

• What you need to know: The longest-running live-action scripted primetime series in America has been running since 1999. It follows the Manhattan SVU detectives as they investigate sex crimes and the prosecutors as they pursue justice. Mariska Hargitay played the role of Olivia Benson throughout the series, from junior detective to captain.

• Notable stars from the past and present: Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Richard Belzer, Dann Florek, Stephanie March, Ice-T, BD Wong, Diane Neal, Tamara Tunie, Danny Pino, Kelli Giddish, Raúl Esparza, Peter Scanavino, Jamie Gray Hyder, Octavio Pisano and Kevin Kane

Law and Order: Organized Crime

• When: an air date for Law and Order: Organized Crime Season 5 hasn’t been announced yet, but it will be soon moving from NBC to Peacock.

• What you need to know: Beloved detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) left SVU in 2011, but his character returned in 2021 for guest episodes and a spinoff in which he investigates organized crime for the NYPD.

• Notable stars from the past and present: Christopher Meloni, Danielle Moné Truitt, Tamara Taylor, Ainsley Seiger, Dylan McDermott, Rick Gonzalez and Dean Norris

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent

• When: Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent Season 2 starts on February 20 on Citytv, but is not yet available to watch in the US

• What you need to know: The Canadian spin-off follows a team of detectives from Toronto’s Specialized Criminal Investigations unit as they investigate the psychological motives behind high-profile crimes. Dick Wolf created the series, but a Canadian team wrote and produced it.

• Notable stars: Aden Young, Kathleen Munroe, KC Collins and Karen Robinson

FBI

FBI and its two spinoff shows dominate Tuesday nights on CBS, with several previous seasons available to stream on Paramount and Peacock.

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I recommend these shows to people who like procedurals but prefer them when the setting changes often.

FBI

• When: FBI Season 7B begins January 28 at 8 PM ET on CBS.

• What you need to know: The series focuses on the employees of the FBI’s New York City field office.

• Notable stars from the past and present: Missy Peregrym, Zeeko Zaki, Jeremy Sisto, Ebonee Noel, Sela Ward, Alana De La Garza, John Boyd, Katherine Renee Kane and Lisette Olivera

FBI: International

• When: FBI: International Season 4B begins January 28 at 9 PM ET on CBS.

• What you need to know: The show follows the elite members of the International Fly Team, based in Budapest. They neutralize the threats against the United States in Europe.

• Notable stars from the past and present: Jesse Lee Soffer, Vinessa Vidotto, Carter Redwood, Eva-Jane Willis, Christina Wolfe, Luke Kleintank, Heida Reed and Christiane Paul

FBI: Most Wanted

• When: FBI: Most Wanted Season 6B begins January 28 at 10 PM ET on CBS.

• What you need to know: The spin-off centers on the Fugitive Task Force, a division of the FBI that tracks down and arrests the most notorious criminals on the Most Wanted list.

• Notable stars from the past and present: Julian McMahon, Kellan Lutz, Roxy Sternberg, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Nathaniel Arcand, YaYa Gosselin, Miguel Gomez, Alexa Davalos, Dylan McDermott, Edwin Hodge and Shantel VanSanten

Looking for more recommendations? Check out our guides to the best winter entertainment.