Michael Parmelee / NBC

Hip-hop star Caleb Bryant (guest Eugene Jones) finds himself in trouble with Det. Nick Amaro (Danny Pino) on the Feb. 27 episode of "SVU."

"Law & Order" is famous for its "ripped from the headlines" plots, and it looks like next week's episode may be borrowing from the saga of musicians Chris Brown and Rihanna.

"A promising singer is brutally attacked by her boyfriend, a popular hip-hop star. ADA Barba (guest star Raul Esparza) works to build a case, but the victim refuses to aid the prosecution, and despite Det. Benson's best efforts, continues to put herself in danger," NBC's description of the episode, titled "Funny Valentine," reads.

Brown assaulted girlfriend Rihanna on the eve of the 2009 Grammy Awards. He subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of assault and was sentenced to five years of probation and community service. The two stars broke up for a time, but recently rekindled their romance, snuggling together in front of cameras at the Grammys earlier this month.

NBC did not reply to a request for comment.

A teaser from "SVU" also seems to hint that Rihanna and Brown were the inspiration of this latest "L&O" tale. "A familiar story of two celebrities intertwined by abuse," the voiceover says. 

But it looks like there will be a twist, as is common with the popular police procedural. The clip that aired as Wednesday's episode ended seems to suggest that the abuser may end up as a homicide victim.

The episode will also guest star talk-show host Wendy Williams as pretty much herself. "I am playing a talk-show host, and guess what her name is: Wendy Williams," she said on her show Feb. 4. Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro is also guest starring, but instead of a rock star, TV Guide reports he'll be playing a sound engineer named Ferrari. Gossip blogger Perez Hilton is also appearing.

"Law & Order: SVU" airs at Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

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Each TV season sees new shows come and old ones go, but some of the classics stick around. After 14 seasons, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" easily qualifies as a classic. Just don't tell the cast that.

The tightknit group, including Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Richard Belzer, Dann Florek, Kelli Giddish and Danny Pino, visited TODAY Tuesday morning ahead of their 300th episode and admitted that "SVU" just doesn't feel like an aging TV staple.

"I think the most interesting (thing) about it is that after 14 years, the show is completely reinvigorated," Hargitay explained. "And it feels to us, who have been here, fresh. ... And that's pretty exciting. Instead of being tired ... it feels truly like a new show."

Still, Belzer admits that there's something to be said about how much time has passed.

"Well, it's a dream for an actor to have the same job for one season, let alone 14," he said.

And in the case of Belzer's Det. John Munch, it's been even longer than that. Munch first made an appearance on "Homicide: Life on the Street" back in 1993. But it's Belzer's time with his "SVU" co-stars that he counts as special.

"We're blessed," he said. "We all get along. I know it may sound corny, but we have literally become a family. And Danny and Kelli have just joined the show in last couple of years. (They) must have set some kind of record for fitting in with our group."

Watch the clip above to see what else the cast had to say, and see them play a rousing round of "SVU" trivia. Catch even more from the "SVU" gang when the 300th episode of the procedural crime drama airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. on NBC.

Before Wednesday night's big episode, go to our Facebook page and tell us your favorite past "SVU" plot.

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Will Hart / NBC

From left, Ice-T, Danny Pino, Kelli Giddish, Dann Florek, executive producer Dick Wolf, Richard Belzer and Mariska Hargitay celebrate "SVU's" 300th episode.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" kicked off on Sept. 20, 1999, and 13 years later, NBC's hit procedural drama is set to air its landmark 300th episode on Wednesday.

Granted, the show no longer stars the beloved (and dearly missed) Christopher Meloni as Det. Elliot Stabler, but it chugs on with Mariska Hargitay's Det. Olivia Benson, Dann Florek's Capt. Cragen, Ice-T's Det. Fin Tutuola, Richard Belzer's Sgt. John Munch and newcomers Danny Pino as Det. Nick Amaro and Kelli Giddish as Det. Amanda Rollins. Though other faces have also come and gone from the squad, the crimes they investigate remain horrible ... and sometimes reminds the SVU of its old cases.

In episode 300, titled "Manhattan Vigil," when a little boy named Wyatt disappears, Cragen, Munch and Benson are reminded of a similar kidnapping case in the same neighborhood that went cold 13 years ago. The new disappearance leads the squad to race against time to find the child. Check out our exclusive first look as Rollins and Fin try to find a lead in the boy's disappearance:

Want more before the episode airs? Catch the TODAY show on Tuesday morning when the cast of "SVU" appears for a chat about the show. Check local listings for air times.

"Law & Order: SVU" airs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

Of the 299 "SVU" episodes that have already aired, which one is your favorite? Tell us your pick on our Facebook page!

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Eric Ogden / USA Network

Kathryn Erbe as Det. Alexandra Eames on "Law & Order: CI."

She's back on Wednesday! "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" star Kathryn Erbe is making her return to "L&O," this time on "Special Victims Unit." Erbe played Det. Alex Eames for 10 seasons of "CI," and next week she's reprising her role in the new episode of "SVU" entitled "Acceptable Loss."

Since "CI" ended, Eames has moved on from the Major Case Squad to become a lieutenant with the City/Federal Homeland Security Task Force. It is in her new role that she crosses paths with SVU. While the gang works (with Capt. Cragen as their boss again!) to bust a sex trafficking ring involving young women, they come across evidence tied to a terrorism case Eames is leading.

Just as SVU is about to crack the case, Eames -- worrying that the squad might compromise her case -- sweeps in and shuts down the investigation of Benson, Munch, Fin, Amaro and Rollins. Watch our exclusive sneak peek of Eames back in action briefing the SVU squad on the case:

But as fans of "SVU" know full well, Det. Benson isn't one to back down just because a superior says to.

"Law & Order: SVU" airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.  Also, check out Weekend TODAY this Sunday for an appearance by Erbe!

What do you think of the clip of Eames? Do you think her character should be more involved in "SVU"? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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David Giesbrecht / NBC

Det. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) questions Capt. Don Cragen (Dann Florek) as her boss finds himself on the wrong side of the law in the season premiere of "SVU."

We all hope we'll never be involved in the sort of crimes the fine folks from the various incarnations of "Law & Order" have found themselves in time and time again over the years. But in the off chance we do end up sitting at a police precinct desperately trying to remember our alibies (or desperately trying to pry the truth from the perp du jour -- depending on which side of the thin blue line we find ourselves on), there's a lot we can learn from the TV legal system.

And with "Special Victims Unit" kicking off its 14th season on Sept. 26, what better time than now to review the lessons we've learned from the popular procedural and others like it?

Lessons for regular folks:

• Never trust your landlord.
  Your landlord isn't just the person collecting your rent each month and ignoring your complaints about the air conditioning. He's also the guy who's going to completely sell you out once the cops stop by. In the land of the "Law & Order" franchises, landlords are only too happy to reveal every relevant and irrelevant tale about your life. And in more than a couple episodes, they were the ones who took their tenants' lives.

• Drink nothing! Eat nothing!
  Once you're at the precinct, if detectives offers you a stick of gum, then dollars to doughnuts, they're going to dig through the trash can later (or scrape it from the underside of the table you stick it to) and send that gooey sample to the lab for some DNA-retrieving magic. Just tough out the hunger pangs for a few more hours. But if you must drink, take that aluminum can or paper cup with you! (Watch out if they offer you a beverage in a mug. It might be tough to walk out of the precinct, mug in hand, without getting slapped with a theft charge on top of whatever it is you're already facing.)

• Don't touch the detective.
  Maybe you're feeling particularly punchy. Maybe you think, "I could take that detective in a fair fight." No, just no. No matter how frustrated (or even overly friendly) you may be, it's never OK to lay a hand on the officer standing before you. It only leads to regret and arrest.

• Keep your mouth shut.
  Yes, the police can be intimidating and mean (Hellooooo, dearly missed Det. Stabler!), but remember you have the right to remain silent no matter how much they badger you.  (Side note: Remember whether the arresting officer read you your Miranda rights. It may come in handy if they don't.) Keep those lips sealed beyond asking for legal representation. Anything you say can and will be used against you later in the episode ...  er, in the court of law.

• Listen to your lawyer.
  If you were clever enough to ask for a lawyer in the first place, then listen to said lawyer -- even if the lawyer's advice seems like little more than the aforementioned "keep your mouth shut." Nothing doomed more suspects on any prime-time police procedural that the words they uttered after their lawyers said, "Don't answer that."

Lessons for law enforcement:

• Respect the crime scene!
  Didn't they teach this in police academy or day one on the force? Crime scenes are special places chock-full of prints, hair, fibers and tiny, random deposits of DNA, so it's best to tread lightly and not add your own DNA to the mix. We've lost count of the number of times detectives have put their ungloved hands all over evidence. 

• They're called partners for a reason.
  Bad things happen to good partners when they hit the pavement solo, so don't let them do it. Oh, sure, it's fine if they want to do a little research or visit the lab. But if they're actually meeting up with perps or faithfully following killers' footsteps, follow the advice ever kindergartener already knows -- stick close to your buddy.

• If you want a suspect to talk, get up close and personal.
  Yes, thanks to the intimate interrogations stylings of "Law & Order: SVU's" Det. Stabler and "L & O: Criminal Intent's" Det. Goren, it's clear that when someone doesn't want to spill the murderous beans, all you have to do is get your face near the suspect's face. Criminals have no defense for that classic maneuver.

• But don't get too personal.
  This is one of those lessons best learned by watching what not to do. Whenever a good cop gets a little too involved with a sympathetic victim, things go bad fast. When a case hits too close to home, procedure flies out the window, and rookie mistakes are the order of the day.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" returns with back-to-back episodes on Wednesday at 9 p.m. on NBC.

What's the best lesson you've ever learned from procedural crime dramas? Tell us on our Facebook page.

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John P. Johnson / HBO

Christopher Meloni stars as Roman on season five of "True Blood."

Before the current season of HBO’s “True Blood” kicked off, the big Bon Temps news was that former “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star Christopher Meloni would be trading his badge for fangs and bringing new blood to “True Blood.” It was quite the casting boon for the show considering Meloni’s past primetime successes, including his stint on the HBO classic, “Oz,” and his reputation for playing the perfect attention-grabbing tough guy no matter which side of the law his character’s on.

(Spoiler alert! If you didn’t watch Sunday night’s episode of “True Blood” don’t read on.)

But the latest “True Blood” twist could have some Meloni fans wondering why the show’s powers-that-be brought him onboard at all. After just a few weeks of mounting tensions and teases of drama-to-come with Meloni’s undead alter ego Roman, the main man from the Authority found himself pinned under the pointy end of his own silver-tipped stake on Sunday night’s show.

Returning villain Russell Edgington, aka the fallen Vampire King of Mississippi, did the dirty work in the episode’s shocking final seconds. So much for a season full of epic battles between the two vamps. And so much for Meloni, as the “true death” usually means a true exit from the show.

But did Roman really fall to the true death? It sure looks that way, but despite a little blood and a lot of contortions, Roman wasn’t shown erupting in a geyser of blood and vampire guts the way most of the night crawlers do. So maybe there’s still a little hope to be had. Maybe.

Otherwise the question remains: did “True Blood” waste good thing with Meloni? Take our poll below and share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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As the first season of "Law & Order: SVU" without Chris Meloni's popular (if angry) Det. Elliot Stabler comes to an end with Wednesday's finale, the show brings back original squad member Brian Cassidy (played by Dean Winters) to investigate the death of an underage escort.

The episode description hints at corruption (high-profile folks at the wild bachelor party where the escort is found dead), a power struggle between escort services and even a possible tragedy for one of SVU's team members. (Fingers crossed it's not Mariska Hargitay's Det. Olivia Benson. She's been through enough this season, first losing Elliot and then love interest Harry Connick Jr.!) 

In an exclusive clip from the finale that NBC shared with TODAY.com, Dets. Tutola (Ice-T) and Rollins (Kelli Giddish) question "massage therapist" Yuko, who discovered former governor Fletcher's dead body. (See, we told you there would be high-profile people involved!) Check it out:

The "SVU" season finale airs on May 23 at 10 p.m. on NBC.

What did you think of the first season of the show without Stabler? Are you excited for Cassidy's return? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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NBC

The halls of Greendale Community College looked a lot like the NYPD homicide unit on Thursday night's episode of "Community." That's because the critically-acclaimed comedy delivered a spot-on sendup of crime classic "Law & Order."

OK, maybe it wasn't entirely spot on -- after all, the case at hand involved a sabotaged school project rather than a murder -- but from the mock opening to the camera work to the sounds (DUN DUN!), it was all there.   

There were "Community" equivalents to every "L&O" character. Troy and Abed represented the detectives ("who investigate the crimes"), while Annie and Jeff stood in for the district attorneys ("who prosecute the offenders"). The rest of Greendale's familiar faces filled out vital roles (Captain Shirley, suspects Todd and Star-Burns, Judge Kane), but for the role of the medical examiner (or yam examiner, in this case), they brought in a ringer: "Law & Order's" own Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers.

The show even capped off with a perfect procedural-crime show twist. Just as the gang wrapped up the case of the smashed-yam project, an anonymous phone call delivered a completely "Law & Order"-worthy, out-of-nowhere blow. Spoiler alert: Fan-favorite background character Star-Burns died in a completely unrelated mobile meth lab accident.

The show just won't be the same without his clueless comic relief. 

What did you think of the lighthearted take on "Law & Order"? And what about that shocker at the end? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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On "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," Mariska Hargitay plays tough-talking detective Olivia Benson. In real life, the actress leaves the tough talk and angst for others as she embraces the good life with her children.

Hargitay visited TODAY Tuesday morning to discuss both her on-screen and off-screen roles.

"My life is really good," she told host Ann Curry. "It's just so full of joy. You know, the babies have come and it feels like nothing short of a miracle." On the verge of tears, she added, "I feel very blessed."

The babies are Amaya and Andrew, both of whom she adopted last year after one "devastating" failed adoption attempt. In a recent interview with Good Housekeeping, Hargitay talked about the rollercoaster of emotion that comes with the adoption process. During her TODAY visit, she explained why, despite setbacks, it was all worthwhile.

"I love talking about adoption because I think it's the greatest thing on the planet," she insisted. "I think anytime you embrace life so fully, so heartily, there are highs and there are lows. What I said in the (Good Housekeeping) piece was that the process takes you on a ride. And the end of it is better than any pot of gold that you can imagine. There's a child."

As fulfilled as Hargitay feels from her family, her work keeps her satisfied, too. This is her first season on "SVU" sans co-star Christopher Meloni, and while that was a difficult adjustment for the actress at first, she now says it's "reenergizing to do the same thing that you've been doing for twelve years and with a whole new freshness to it and a new take on it."

Hargitay describes the next episode of "SVU" as "truly one of (her) favorites." See a clip of the action to come below and tune in to NBC Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET to see it all unfold.

What do you think of Hargitay's real-life and on-screen roles? Share your thoughts about the actress on our Facebook page.

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FunnyOrDie.com

Tough, angry cop with a big heart on "Law & Order: SVU"?  Actor Christopher Meloni has been there, done that. But it never hurts to revisit it! (Especially when "SVU" fans miss him so!)

In a new video on FunnyOrDie.com, the new "True Blood" season five regular pokes a bit of fun at his former role -- complete with boiling rage -- as he prepares to bring Ugandan guerrilla group leader Joseph Kony down. 

"I'm quitting acting!" Meloni declares to an agent-type dude in the video that starts off as an "SVU" spoof. "Here's my fake gun. My fake badge. Real SAG card. I'm going Congo." How very Stabler-like!

And while getting into costume for his trip, Meloni even delivers some stretches reminiscent of his time on HBO's prison drama "Oz."

Check it out:

What do you think of Meloni's latest spoof of his former cop character? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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AP

"Law & Order: SVU" is about to get a lesson in the domestic arts ... well, backstage, maybe.

According to TVGuide.com, Martha Stewart is set to guest star on the NBC procedural. Rather than playing a domestic goddess, her role will be that of a headmaster of a private school, the magazine reports.

The network confirmed the news to TODAY.com and said that an airdate has not yet been set, but that the episode would likely air at the end of April.

Stewart's reported role on "SVU" won't be her first time guesting on a show. She has previously appeared (as herself) on "All My Children," "The Simpsons," "Ugly Betty" and other programs. 

"SVU" airs on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on NBC.

What do you think of this casting news? Who's your favorite guest ever on "SVU"? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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