The newest entry in Dick Wolf’s Law & Order franchise isLaw & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, and now, it’s coming to the US. The Canadian drama began airing in 2024. The spinoff takes the idea ofLaw & Order: Criminal Intent, which focused on the major case squad’s investigations, and sets it in Toronto.
The series has proven to be incredibly popular in Canada, becoming the most-watched new drama of 2024 andtaking home a Canadian Screen Award in 2025. With the CW expanding its drama slate by purchasing screen rights to Canadian series instead of producing its own, the series would seem like a win for the network.
One scheduling issue, however, might preventLaw & Order Toronto: Criminal Intentfrom being truly successful on the network.
Law & Order: Toronto: Criminal Intent Is Scheduled To Air Wednesdays On The CW
The CW Picked Up Both Seasons
In Canada,Law & Order: Toronto: Criminal Intenthas already aired its first two seasons on Citytv. The network has also already picked up the series for a third season, which will be good news for the CW if it does well on the US network.
The CW has picked up the first two seasonsofLaw & Order: Toronto: Criminal Intent, with the first season set to air in 2025 and the second set to air in 2026 on the network. Each season is comprised of 10 episodes, so it’s likely the complete first season will air as part of the fall schedule.
The CW has also already set a premiere date for the series,scheduling it to debut on Wednesday, September 24. This is in contrast to most other broadcast networks. While they have released their schedules for which shows will air on which nights, they have not released specific premiere dates just yet.
Law & Order: Toronto: Criminal Intent will air Wednesdaysat 9:00 PM on the CW.
Toronto: Criminal Intent Schedule Directly Pits It Against Chicago Fire On NBC
The Ratings Will Be Impacted
Though the CW is not a network that usually competes with the big ratings put up by networks like CBS, ABC, and NBC, this particular scheduling means the show will have some stiff competition. That competition will come in the form of the same fans who would be interested in the series watching a completely different show in the Dick Wolf family on another network.
Dick Wolf has a television empire to his name at this point. In addition to theLaw & Ordershows, which exist in the same universe, there are also theOne Chicagoand theFBIshows. TheLaw & Orderseries that air on NBC have already crossed over with theChicagoseries in the past, which also air on NBC.
There is, presumably, also plenty of crossover in the fanbases and the live audiences watching theLaw & Orderprocedurals and theChicagoseries, which meansa significant portion of the expected audience for aLaw & Orderseries may not be tuning into the CW when the show premieres.
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intentwill be on the CW and airing against NBC’sOne Chicagonight, according tothe fall 2025 TV schedule, pitting it directly againstChicago Firein particular.Chicago Firepulls in some of the highest ratings of the Dick Wolf shows.
In season 13,Chicago Firewas averaging over 5 million live viewers per episode (viaTV Series Finale). In contrast, the scripted TV shows on the CW from the 2024-2025 TV season average less than 500,000 live viewers per episode (also viaTV Series Finale).
Pitting the two shows against one another only serves to sabotage the newestLaw & Orderseries, robbing it of potential live viewers.
Chicago Med
5.807 Million
It’spossible that the CW is banking on the popularity of theLaw & Orderfranchisebringing more viewers to the network. That seems unlikely when pitting a lesser-known series in the US against an established hit likeChicago Fire, though.
Chicago Fire’sratings have been relatively stable for the last few years. Other competition has not been able to pull viewers away from the series, so the CW likely will not either, even with a newLaw & Orderseries.
Of course, like most networks, the CW does offer its shows the next day for streaming on its app and website. The network will be able to count on a boost from those who prefer to stream the series rather than watch live, but it might not be enough to make the show a ratings competitor.
Hopefully, the CW’s gamble withLaw & Order Toronto: Criminal Intentis not a losing one for the network.
