<Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Law & Order: Special Victims Unit </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Also known as </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Law & Order: SVU </Li> <Li> SVU </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Genre </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Police procedural </Li> <Li> Legal drama </Li> <Li> Thriller </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Created by </Th> <Td> Dick Wolf </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Starring </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Christopher Meloni </Li> <Li> Mariska Hargitay </Li> <Li> Richard Belzer </Li> <Li> Dann Florek </Li> <Li> Michelle Hurd </Li> <Li> Stephanie March </Li> <Li> Ice - T </Li> <Li> B.D. Wong </Li> <Li> Diane Neal </Li> <Li> Tamara Tunie </Li> <Li> Adam Beach </Li> <Li> Michaela McManus </Li> <Li> Danny Pino </Li> <Li> Kelli Giddish </Li> <Li> Raúl Esparza </Li> <Li> Peter Scanavino </Li> <Li> Philip Winchester </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Opening theme </Th> <Td> Theme of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Composer (s) </Th> <Td> Mike Post </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Country of origin </Th> <Td> United States </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Original language (s) </Th> <Td> English </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> No. of seasons </Th> <Td> 19 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> No. of episodes </Th> <Td> 427 (list of episodes) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Production </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Executive producer (s) </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Dick Wolf </Li> <Li> Robert Palm (season 1) </Li> <Li> David J. Burke (season 2) </Li> <Li> Neal Baer (seasons 2--12) </Li> <Li> Ted Kotcheff (seasons 2--13) </Li> <Li> Peter Jankowski (season 2--present) </Li> <Li> Warren Leight (seasons 13--17) </Li> <Li> Michael Smith (season 14) </Li> <Li> Julie Martin (seasons 14--present) </Li> <Li> Jonathan Starch (season 15--present) </Li> <Li> Arthur W. Forney (season 17--present) </Li> <Li> Rick Eid (season 18) </Li> <Li> Mariska Hargitay (season 18--present) </Li> <Li> Michael Chernuchin (season 19--present) </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Running time </Th> <Td> 40--44 minutes </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Production company (s) </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Wolf Films </Li> <Li> Studios USA (1999--2002) (seasons 1 - 3) </Li> <Li> Universal Television (2002--04, 2011--present) (season 4 - present) </Li> <Li> NBC Universal Television Studio (2004--2007) (seasons 6 - 9) </Li> <Li> Universal Media Studios (2007--2011) (seasons 9 - 12) </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Distributor </Th> <Td> NBCUniversal Television Distribution </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Release </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Original network </Th> <Td> NBC </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Picture format </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> NTSC (480i) </Li> <Li> HDTV 1080i </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Original release </Th> <Td> September 20, 1999 (1999 - 09 - 20)--present </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Chronology </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Related shows </Th> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Law & Order franchise </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> External links </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Website </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Law & Order: Special Victims Unit </Th> </Tr>

When did law & order special victims unit start