NBC Photo: Will HartIs the Special Victims Unit all out of order?
Despite their show being the network's top-rated scripted series (let alone the most successful Law & Order of the bunch), NBC is said to be considering replacing stars Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay if the high-paid duo don't keep their demands for a big raise in check.
NBC refuses to comment on talent negotiations, but various insiders told EW.com that, while L&O creator Dick Wolf has already inked a deal to bring SVU back for an 11th season, Hargitay and Meloni are playing hardball.
In 2007 the longtime TV partners inked a two-year deal that made Benson and Stabler some of the richest detectives on the block, at about $350,000 per case, er, episode.
That deal expires in May.
Meanwhile, Hargitay is back in action after taking a few weeks off to rest following surgery to repair a collapsed lung.
(Originally published April 8, 2009, at 3:29 p.m. PT)