Law & Order; SVU has found its new set of detectives. NBC and Dick Wolf have picked up Danny Pino of Cold Case and Chase star Keli Giddish to play the lead in the upcoming series, reported Deadline.com

After Chris Meloni quit the show and Mariska Hargitay asked for a reduced role in the forthcoming season, the series bosses were desperately looking for replacements. Meloni’s replacement had been narrowed down to five choices ; Pino, Michael Raymond James (Terriers), David Conrad (Ghost Whisperer), Kevin Alejandro (True Blood) and Rhys Coiro (Entourage).

The announcement was made by NBC Entertainment chief Bob Greenblatt. “Kelli and Danny are two great actors who will join a proven cast headed by Mariska Hargitay as this exceptional series heads into a very promising 13th season,” Greenblatt said. Added exec producer/creator Wolf: “I’m very pleased that we have two amazing actors joining the cast. I know this combination will give us the opportunity to explore the world of SVU with new eyes.”

Chris Meloni, who played Detective Eliot Stabler, has moved on to a role in the Superman reboot, Man Of Steel. Giddish was the star of the Chase series and has made guest appearances on Law & Order; SVU. Pino, played Detective Scotty Valens for seven seasons on the Cold Case.

Law & Order: SVU has been the most successful of all the franchises of the original series. It has won several awards and been nominated for both the Emmys and Golden Globe. Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni were reportedly among the highest-paid lead actors on a drama, each earning nearly $400,000 per episode, a salary that TV Guides said was exceeded only by House's Hugh Laurie.

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