Just in time for NBC's upfront presentation on Monday, Law & Order:SVU star Mariska Hargitay has closed a new deal to return to the crime drama for its upcoming 13th season, in which she will pass the female lead baton on a new actress. I hear Jennifer Love Hewitt is being courted for the gig though no formal offer has been made. Meanwhile, SVU's leading man Christopher Meloni still has no deal for next season.

Going into the contract negotiations, Hargitay had asked to scale back her workload on the show. The producers granted her request, and she will work fewer hours at her previous salary of about $385,000 an episode ($400,000 with backend and other payments included.) For the first 13 episodes, Hargitay's character Olivia Benson will continue to solve sex crimes alongside her partner, presumably Elliot Stabler (Meloni), pending him closing his deal. Then Benson will be promoted to a supervisor position, with a new female detective taking her place. That is the role that the producers are eying Hewitt for. Hewitt is not a stranger to SVU - she did a memorable guest appearance this past fall. As for Meloni, whose current salary is the same as Hargitay's, I hear the actor is seeking a raise but talks with the studio are in very early stages and moving slowly, so it doesn't look like he will have a deal before NBC's upfront. The last time Hargitay and Meloni's contracts were up 2 years ago they didn't sign new pacts until end of June.

http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/

Good news, bad news.

I'd rather them just have Olivia be the main character in alternate episodes, with the others having Stabler work with either Fin or Munch. I don't think fans will warm to seeing Stabler working with someone new, especially a female taking her place. (I was never a fan of the Dani Beck episodes.)

I understand Mariska wanting to lighten her workload, and she has every right to. I just think there is a better way then what they are going to do.

Also, if she is being promoted to a supervisor position--will she be replacing Sgt. Munch or Capt. Craigen? :(

If they are going to be making all these changes, then they need to either get Casey Novak or Alex Cabot back as ADA full time! (Or maybe even alternate episodes.) The show is a lot better when one of these two is the ADA, I don't like the one they have this season. Christine Lahti's Paxton was growing on me, but then of course they kill her off.

Any word on if BD Wong and Tamara Tunie will be back? I know there were reports going around about BD possibly leaving; we've seen little of both characters this season.

SVU will always be one of my favorite shows, but they've had such a solid, unchanging cast for the bulk of its run, so it's a little sad that it seems like that's all changing.

I can't stand JLH so if this comes to pass then I'm done watching this show.