Mariska Hargitay as Lieutenant Olivia Benson
Mariska Hargitay as Lieutenant Olivia BensonFacebook / Law & Order: SVU

The fans of NBC's crime drama series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" won't have to wait much to see Lieutenant Olivia Benson and Detective Amanda Rollins back in action as the channel has confirmed the production of Season 18.

As reported by E! Online, "Law & Order: SVU" has been renewed as part of the channel's new deal with producer of the series, Dick Wolf. Wolf's other show, "Chicago Med," has also been renewed by the channel.

Besides these two shows, Wolf also serves as the producer of other "Chicago" series namely "Chicago Fire" and "Chicago PD."

Talking about the renewal of the show, chairman of NBC Entertainment Robert Greenblatt said: "Wolf is, without a doubt, one of the greatest producers in the history of dramatic television. The 'Law & Order' legacy would have been enough to set him apart from all the rest, but the 'Chicago' franchise now kicks him into the stratosphere."

"He has been a defining voice of NBC for over a generation, and he is most welcome at this company forever."

Wolf is also looking forward to the upcoming seasons of both "SVU" and "Chicago Med." In a statement, he explained his bonding with the channel's officials and his experience of working with them.

"I've been in the same office, with the same phone number, for 30 years. I'm glad people won't have to learn a new one. Staying was really a foregone conclusion. My partnership with Bob has been the best relationship I've ever had with the head of a network."

"He has also assembled a great team of executives at both the network and the studio who make it possible for the Wolf Entertainment team to turn out multiple shows. It is truly a synergistic group effort that makes me enormously excited about both the present and the future."

According to Premiere Date, NBC decided to green-light another season of "SVU" because of the previous season's success. The website has reported that on Jan. 13, 2016, "SVU" Season 17 hit a 14-month peak in the demo numbers and it seems that it might have encouraged the channel to order another season.

The new deal between NBC and Wolf is through 2020, and hopefully fans will get to see more seasons of their favourite show in the coming years.