At the expense of sounding a touch cheesy, it seems only befitting to say that Law & Order: SVU's Olivia Benson has arrested the hearts of America's TV viewing population.

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A recent survery revealed that the actress is America's favorite female character, with runners up Cookie Lyon (Empire) and Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones). The survey was conducted by entertainment marketing agency Trailer Park and 21 percent of the 1200 respondents voted for Benson.

Speaking to the Washington Post, D'nae Kingsley, head of integrated strategy at Trailer Park, revealed that part of the reason for Benson's success might have to do with the fact that she "falls at the center of a Venn diagram." She added that Benson was a powerful character which explains the draw.

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"It's okay for men to show the emotional struggles or the awkwardness of being a teen, and some of the other things that were 'Oh, men wouldn't like that because it puts them in a bad light,' or 'Those aren't traits that men typically have; these were traits that boys were supposed to grow out of,' " Kingsley said. "People are saying, 'We want to see women in these really powerful roles, but we also want to see men in these loving roles, in these compassionate roles.' "

Meanwhile, the season 17 premiere is less than a month away and the show will be bringing back a big baddie from a past season, and this time around it seems like the serial killer might have just gotten better at his game. Serial killer Greg Yates -- the murderous doc who horrified viewers in the Law & Order SVU and Chicago P.D. crossover -- returns! 

Season 17 will premiere on Sept. 23 on NBC.

Watch the preview:

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