<P> Law & Order : Special Victims Unit , an American police procedural television series , premiered on September 20 , 1999 on NBC . Created by Dick Wolf , it is the first spin - off of Law & Order and follows the detectives of a fictionalized version of the New York City Police Department 's Special Victims Unit , which investigates sexually based offenses . SVU originally aired on Monday nights at 9pm / 8c EST , but it was moved to Friday nights at 10pm / 9c after the ninth episode . Showrunner Robert Palm felt too disturbed by the subject matter and left after the season 's conclusion . </P>
<P> Law & Order : Special Victims Unit , an American police procedural television series , premiered on September 20 , 1999 on NBC . Created by Dick Wolf , it is the first spin - off of Law & Order and follows the detectives of a fictionalized version of the New York City Police Department 's Special Victims Unit , which investigates sexually based offenses . SVU originally aired on Monday nights at 9pm / 8c EST , but it was moved to Friday nights at 10pm / 9c after the ninth episode . Showrunner Robert Palm felt too disturbed by the subject matter and left after the season 's conclusion . </P>
when did the first episode of law and order svu air
when did the first episode of law and order svu air
September 20 , 1999
September 20 , 1999