Although "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" will enable characters from the "Law & Order" franchise to migrate between the two series and will feature storyline crossovers, the new program will have a strong identity of its own.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" follows Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni, "Oz"), a seasoned veteran of the Unit who has seen it all, and his partner, Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay, NBC’s "ER") whose past is the reason she joined the Unit, but her future is why she stays.

Overseeing the Unit is Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek, reprising the role he played on the first three seasons of "Law & Order" and in the recent telefilm "Exiled: A Law & Order Movie"). Cragen’s tough but supportive approach to the Unit’s complex cases guides the squad through the challenges they face every day.

Also joining the Unit is a familiar face from NBC’s critically acclaimed "Homicide: Life on the Street" and several "Law & Order" crossover episodes, Detective John Munch, played by Richard Belzer. A recent transfer from Baltimore’s homicide unit, Munch brings his acerbic wit, conspiracy theories and street-honed investigative skills to the squad. Rounding out the team is Munch’s partner, Detective Brian Cassidy (Dean Winters, "Oz"), an enthusiastic newcomer who worships the ground on which his partner walks, and the street-saavy detective Monique Jeffries (Michelle Hurd, "The Practice").

The team’s dogged pursuits are coupled with a special level of concern and sympathy for the victims. Each episode features new puzzles to solve, new victims to console and the constant struggle of the detectives to juggle the emotional toll of the job and the pressures it puts on their personal lives.