Christopher Meloni visits "The IMDb Show" on March 26, 2019,...

Christopher Meloni visits "The IMDb Show" on March 26, 2019, in Studio City, Calif. Credit: Getty Images for IMDb / Rich Polk

Christopher Meloni is set to return as his "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" character Det. Elliot Stabler in a spinoff of that NYPD series.

Deadline.com said this latest show in producer Dick Wolf's long-running NBC franchise has been given a 13-episode order. Meloni, who turns 59 on Thursday, earned an Emmy Award nomination for his 1999-2011 role on "SVU."

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Christopher Meloni is set to return as his "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" character Det. Elliot Stabler in a spinoff of that NYPD series.

Deadline.com said this latest show in producer Dick Wolf's long-running NBC franchise has been given a 13-episode order. Meloni, who turns 59 on Thursday, earned an Emmy Award nomination for his 1999-2011 role on "SVU."

The actor has not commented on social media other than to tease a fan who inquired early Wednesday about the report, replying, "Sleep tight."

Since exiting "SVU," Meloni has appeared prolifically on television, and starred in the sitcom "Surviving Jack" and the fanciful crime drama "Happy!"