By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — "Law & Order," the beloved New York crime drama, has been canceled by NBC after 20 seasons on the air.
"NBC will end its historic and record-tying Law & Order when the mothership series concludes its 20th season on Monday, May 24," NBC said in a statement.
People involved with the show received word Thursday afternoon that the program would be axed by NBC, according to the New York Times.
"The legacy of his original ‘Law & Order’ series will continue to make an impact like no other series before." said Jeff Gaspin, Chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment.
"Law & Order," which first aired in 1990, is tied for the title of longest-running prime-time drama on network television with "Gunsmoke," which ran from 1955 to 1975. The animated comedy "The Simpsons" is the longest running prime-time television series with 21 seasons and counting.
A mainstay for New York City actors, the show and its spinoffs — "Law & Order: S.V.U." and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" — are estimated to employ more than 8,000 people, directly and indirectly, within the city, according to the paper.
“It’s a kick in the gut to New York,” Fred Berner, one of "Law & Order's" executive producers, told the Times of its potential cancellation.