NBC and crime show producer Dick Wolf are expanding their successful Law & Order franchise, announcing the production of Law & Order: Hate Crimes, inspired by New York City’s real-life Hate Crimes Task Force.
According to a press release, the new show follows a team of detectives who have “a zero tolerance policy against discrimination of any kind”.
“As with all of my crime shows, I want to depict what’s really going on in our cities and shine a light on the wide-ranging victims and show that justice can prevail,” Wolf said of the series, which will reportedly include cross-overs with the cast of Law & Order SVU.
“Twenty years ago when SVU began, very few people felt comfortable coming forward and reporting these crimes, but when you bring the stories into people’s living rooms – with characters as empathetic as Olivia Benson – a real dialogue can begin," Wolf added.
"That’s what I hope we can do with this new show in a world where hate crimes have reached an egregious level."
Lisa Katz, co-president of scripted programming at NBC Entertainment, said the series reflects disturbing trends in the United States.
"Considering that last year there was a double-digit rise in hate crimes in our 10 largest cities — the highest total in over a decade — it seemed like this topic is begging to be explored," she said, according to Buzzfeed News.
Hate crimes are defined as crimes motivated by prejudice, with a victim being targeted because they belong to a certain race or social group. These crimes can be motivated by gender identity or sexual orientation.
Hate Crimes has received a 13 episode commitment from NBC and was co-created by former Law & Order: Special Victims Unit showrunner Warren Leight.
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