Law & Order’s most successful spinoff is still on the case. Why we can’t get enough of Benson, Fin and the entire Special Victims Unit on TV’s longest-running primetime drama! If 25 years ago, producer Dick Wolf had stuck with the original subtitle of his first Law & Order spinoff, which was inspired by the prosecution of “Preppy Killer” Robert Chambers, this story may not have been written. After all, recommending a show subtitled Sex Crimes to your parents might have elicited a certain “ick” factor. Luckily, that wasn’t a problem when the drama, retitled Special Victims Unit, premiered on September 20, 1999. Most critics praised the show, even with its “squirm-inducing cases,” and over 14 million viewers tuned in and became regular watchers despite the “heinous” crimes on display, to quote the show’s weekly opening prologue. By Season 4, SVU had come a household name, and its popularity has never wavered.