NBC's hit police procedural and legal drama series, Law & Order, is facing a major schedule change.While NBC is bringing back franchise nights with episodes of Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago P.D dropping every Wednesday and Law & Order and Law and Order: SVU releasing every Thursday, the schedule change for Law & Order has left viewers worried. As per reports, Law & Order is pushed back to the 10 PM ET slot from its usual 8 PM ET. However, there's no schedule change for Law and Order: SVU, and the episodes will drop in their usual timeslot, i.e.,9 PM ET every Thursday.According to NBC's 2026-27 fall lineup, One Chicago shows will premiere on October 7, while Law & Order arrives the next day, on October 8. The episodes will also be available to stream on Peacock shortly after the broadcast.So, how does the schedule change affect a show? Let's find out.NBC's Law & Order's new time slot can affect viewershipLaw and Order Season 26 will air at 10 PM ET (Image Via Instagram/@nbclawandorder)The schedule change for NBC's Law and Order to 10 PM ET might have bigger consequences than expected. Since the show is now delayed to two hours, the viewership is expected to drop. Shows that air in the 10 PM ET slot often struggle to match the viewership count of shows that release in the early primetime slot.NBC's Law and Order is already struggling to maintain steady viewership, and now, with the show being shifted from 8 PM to 10 PM ET, it will likely make things worse. In fact, this long-running police procedural show was one of the last shows to be renewed by the network in 2026. SVU was renewed for a Season 28 on April 28, 2026, while Law and Order was renewed a month later in May.Organized Crime, starring Christopher Meloni, which previously aired on the 10 PM slot before moving to Peacock for Season 5, has been cancelled by the network. With Organized Crime cancelled, can Law and Order survive the 10 PM curse?Can Law & Order Season 26 be a success? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe logline of the new season, as per NBC, reads,"The 27th Precinct is busier than ever as Law and Order prepares for an epic return. Season 26 is set to deliver action-packed police investigations, nail-biting courtroom moments, and all of the signature Dun Dun drama once again."Even though no official cast announcement has been made, familiar faces from Season 25 might return. However, now that the show is being shifted to 10 PM, the makers need to make extra efforts to increase the viewership. Crossover episodes with SVU and Chicago One might help the show reach a larger audience. Additionally, plot twists and fresh cast members, or a quick throwback to some iconic episodes, could help ramp up the numbers.Few shows have thrived in the 10 PM slot, which includes Chicago P.D, The Rookie, and Grey's Anatomy, but they already had a massive fan following, and the networks were confident that they could garner steady viewership even at the latest primetime hour.Follow SoapCentral for more such updates on your favourite shows and movies.