Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni, stars of the hit NBC series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, have just extended their contracts for two more years. This comes after weeks of negotiations and some speculation that the series would go on without the star power of Hargitay and Meloni. The two will continue on the drama through 2009. The show’s creator, Dick Wolf, has made no announcements about the dollar amount of the deal, but it has been reported that each could be earning more than $6.5 million annually. Hargitay is joining the big leagues, with an estimated $300,000 to $340,000 per episode, putting her in the range of Kyra Sedgwick, who was recently named as one of the top paid female television stars. Creator Dick Wolf said of the agreement, “I’m thrilled that Chris and Mariska have decided to stay with a show that they’ve made an indelible stamp upon, as we move into our ninth season.” Both have been with the series since it started in 1999.