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Crossovers are a phenomenon usually associated with comic books, but they do not end there. They occur when one or more characters from any fictional property appear in another fictional property, explicitly or implicitly as the same character in both. This is easier where both of the franchises take place in the same fictional universe, such as crossovers between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, but still occurs in seemingly unconnected shows.
As such a long-running show, with many properties to its name, the Law & Order franchise has had crossovers with numerous other shows. Aside from a long tradition of crossovers between two shows under the Law & Order umbrella, several of the series have crossed over with other shows, typically those dealing with law enforcement or other public servants, and often those made by Dick Wolf.
8 Homicide & Law & Order Have A Long Relationship
Homicide: Life on the Streets is another show with a long history of crossovers, including several with Law & Order, with characters from either show appearing on the other with some regularity for a time.
The very first crossover between the two was little more than a cameo, with Law & Order‘s Detective Mike Logan handing a fugitive over to Pembleton in a brief appearance. Over the years, they had more substantial crossovers, solving several murders together. Eventually, Detective John Munch from Homicide would become a full character on Special Victims Unit.
7 New York Undercover Has A Single Crossover
An unusual one-sided crossover for Law & Order, an episode of New York Undercover features a guest appearance from clinical psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Olivet, who is usually seen assisting the cast of Law & Order, and still infrequently appears on related shows as recently as 2018.
In the episode “New York Undercover,” character Nina Moreno goes to Olivet for counseling following a traumatic incident on the job. Both shows are made by Dick Wolf, who enjoys crossing over characters between his works.
6 Conviction Has A Crossover In Its Very First Episode
The 2016 TV show Conviction was technically part of the same continuity as Law & Order, despite not being made by Dick Wolf, but is excluded from the show’s umbrella due to a differing focus on the personal lives of its characters and the effects their job has on them.
Aside from having a character from Special Victims Unit as its central character, with actress Stephanie Marsh reprising her role as Assistant District Attorney Alex Cabot, the show’s pilot features an appearance from Fred Dalton Thompson as Arthur Branch from Law & Order and Law & Order: Trial by Jury.
5 In Plain Sight’s Mary Shannon Left Albuquerque
A rare case of a show with no official connections to Law & Order crossing over with it, the main character of In Plain Sight made an appearance in 2008 on Law and Order: Criminal Intent.
Despite In Plain Sight being about the witness protection program in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the crossover, entitled “Contract,” sees protagonist Deputy Marshall Mary Shannon follow an investigation to New York, where she briefly discusses a suspect with Criminal Intent‘s Logan and Wheeler.
4 Chicago PD Began A Repeat Collaboration
The Chicago franchise is another Dick Wolf property detailing the lives of public servants, with a penchant for heavy crossovers within its own umbrella. Rather than the traditional New York setting of Law & Order, it is set, as the name implies, in Chicago, Illinois.
As a result, the two franchises have shared numerous crossovers, beginning in 2014 with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Chicago PD. At the end of the Special Victims Unit “Comic Perversion,” Erin Lindsay from Chicago PD appears to ask for the help of Tutuola and Robins in solving a serial case with ties to New York.
3 Chicago Fire Had Numerous Three-Way Crossovers
On more than one occasion, Chicago Fire crossed over with Special Victims Unit, usually with the addition of Chicago PD, leading to three-way crossovers, with episodes appearing on each of the shows.
The typical formula of these crossovers is that a fire would lead to the beginnings of a criminal investigation that had sexual ties of some sort, leading the Chicago PD to call in New York’s elite Special Victims Unit for aid. This formula began with 2014’s “Nobody Touch Anything,” and would be repeated in 2015.
2 Chicago Justice Had A Law & Order Lawyer
Chicago Justice is another show under the Chicago umbrella to be ripe with crossover potential, although its first crossover with Law & Order was a more subdued one. Richard Brooks reprised his role as Attorney Paul Robinette from Law & Order, a former Assistant District Attorney-turned-defense lawyer specialized in defending cops.
In the 2017 Chicago Justice episode “Uncertainty Principle,” Robinette defended Chicago police offer Kevin Atwater from Chicago Justice lawyer Peter Stone. Chicago Justice would go on to have other crossovers with Law & Order properties, including SVU.
1 John Munch Has Appeared On At Least Ten Shows
John Munch is a rare character in that he has been a main character on two tangentially-connected franchises. The character first appeared on Homicide: Life on the Streets as a member of the team. After that show crossed over numerous times with Law & Order, Munch would go on to appear as a main character on fifteen seasons of Special Victims Unit, with Richard Belzer reprising the role.
Beyond this unusuality, it has become something of a running joke across numerous television shows to have Munch make a guest or cameo appearance on their shows. Theoretically, this makes Law & Order potentially connected to The X-Files, Luther, The Muppets, and others, all of which have had Munch appear or be mentioned.
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