So long, Det. Stabler: An insider confirms that Christopher Meloni will leave Law & Order: Special Victims Unit after 12 seasons. Apparently, the actor was offered a “generous” salary to stay with the NBC show for another year, but he made the decision to bolt, instead – which paves the way for a fresh face to join the aging franchise. (Hey, Dick Wolf: These actors didn’t get their pilots picked up. Maybe consider one of them?)
Meloni has been on the show since the beginning, when it launched in 1999. His co-star, Mariska Hargitay, recently signed a new deal to stay on the cop drama.
NBC announced last week in New York that SVU will return next fall but its sister show, Law & Order: Los Angeles, was yanked after only one season.
Meanwhile, Peacock topper Robert Greenblatt told reporters that he’s looked at Jennifer Love Hewitt as a possible fill-in next season for Hargitay, who is reportedly looking to lighten her work load (she recently adopted a baby). Love Hewitt guest-starred on the show earlier this year as a rape victim and “is someone we’ve been circling,” Greenblatt told reporters. “I don’t know whether that’s coming to pass or not.”
If Mariska's going to leave too they should just end the show =[ ...I don't see it being nearly as good without those two (unless J-Love is actually being cast and Chris's replacement is just as hot, lol).
Within two weeks, my favorite show on TV has been reduced to shreds. 
