Law & Order season 26 starts Thursday, October 8 at 10pm ET/PT, and the cast is already changing before the first episode airs. Reid Scott is stepping away from the show, while James Badge Dale is set to join later in the season.
That makes the new run easy to track for viewers looking for the law and order cast update now: the season has a fixed launch time, a returning network home and a streaming option, all of which make the rollout clear for NBC and Peacock audiences. If you have cable, NBC will carry the episodes for free, and Peacock will stream them as they become available.
There is also a cheaper route for viewers trying to follow along without a traditional subscription. FuboTV and YouTube TV both carry NBC and offer free trials, while Walmart+ is offering a 30-day trial for $1 that includes a choice of Paramount+ or Peacock. New episodes are available on Peacock every Friday, which means the season’s early stretch will not be limited to a single night of viewing.
The one thing that is still not pinned down is Dale’s exact arrival. He is entering the cast at some point this season, but the timing has not been set, leaving Scott’s exit as the immediate change and Dale’s addition as the next one to watch. That gap matters because the season is beginning with one familiar face stepping out and another coming in, but not on the same timetable.
For viewers outside the United States, the picture is less complete. There is currently no release plan or broadcast lined up for Law & Order season 26 in Australia, even though past seasons were on 7Plus and travelers abroad can use a VPN to reach their usual streaming services. So the season opens with a clear schedule in one market and an open question in another.
For now, the headline is straightforward: season 26 begins October 8, Scott is leaving, and Dale is coming in later. What remains unanswered is how soon that cast change will land on screen, and whether viewers in Australia will get a local path to the new episodes at all.
