‘Criminal Intent’ renewed for USA

“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” will remain on the case for another season on USA Network. It’s been renewed for a 16-episode eighth year.

Part of the three-series “Law & Order” franchise created by Dick Wolf, “Criminal Intent” originally aired on NBC. But when the network decided that this season’s schedule had room for only two of the shows, a deal was struck to air “Criminal Intent” first on USA, then on NBC.

NBC and USA are corporate cousins within NBC Universal.

Both “Law & Order” and spinoff “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” will return to NBC next season.

It will be Season 19 for the original series, second only to “Gunsmoke” as the longest-running network TV drama series. “Special Victims Unit” will be in its 10th year.