The first season of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, an American police procedural television series developed by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, began airing on September 30, 2001 on NBC, a national broadcast television network in the United States. Law & Order: Criminal Intent is the second spin-off of the long-running crime drama Law & Order, and follows the New York City Police Department's fictional Major Case Squad, which investigates high-profile murder cases. The first season comprises twenty-two episodes and concluded its initial airing on May 10, 2002. Four actors received star billing in the first season; Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Jamey Sheridan, and Courtney B. Vance.