#SVU, Organized Crime post big ratings for Benson, Stabler

We can’t say that we’re even remotely surprised about the following news, but it’s still an absolute thrill to report: Viewers came out in drovers for the Benson – Stabler reunion on Law & Order: SVU and then also Organized Crime.

When it comes to SVU itself, the ratings were the best that they’ve been for the series in years. Overall, the episode “Return of the Prodigal Son” ended up drawing a 1.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic and then also more than 7.6 million viewers. Meanwhile, the premiere of Organized Crime after drew a 1.5 and then more than 7.5 million viewers.

Obviously, if these two shows sustained these ratings it’d be enough to cause NBC executives to do cartwheels in celebration; that’s just not an altogether likely thing to happen. You have to remember here that there’s been anticipation for years to see Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni on the small screen together again. Typically, events like this always draw huge numbers and decline a little bit after the fact. We do at least think that the ratings will be solid in the weeks ahead, and that should be enough to buoy Organized Crime to a season 2 renewal. (SVU, on the other hand, already has several more seasons lined up.)

Here’s how significant of an event this was on TV last night — it was enough to knock Grey’s Anatomy down to a 0.8 rating, even though its episode featured an iconic return of its own in Chyler Leigh as Lexie. We almost feel like the counter-programming here forced viewers into making an almost-impossible decision, given that there are people out there who love both of these characters.

Ultimately, we’ll just see where all of these shows land from here.

Related – Be sure to get some more news on Law & Order: Organized Crime and what lies ahead

What did you think about the big Law & Order: SVU – Organized Crime crossover?

Be sure to let us know in the attached comments. Once you check that out, remember to stick around for some other news. (Photo: NBC.)

This article was written by Jess Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.