The Rookie continues to be a big hit on the 2026 TV schedule, surprisingly because of TikTok and teenagers, and now that the show has been renewed for Season 9, what does this mean for the spinoff? ABC previously ordered a pilot for The Rookie: North, but as of now, there hasn’t been much shared about its future. So, I’ve been waiting for an update on it, and someone finally asked the EP.
If The Rookie: North moves forward, this will mark the second spinoff in The Rookie Universe, following the short-lived Niecy Nash-led series The Rookie: Feds. The new series, starring Jay Ellis, has shot its pilot and has been delivered to ABC, so a decision should be coming very soon. Creator Alexi Hawley told Deadline how he’s feeling about the pilot, and he shared the network's thoughts, too, and this makes me feel better about its chances:
The pilot came out great. The network seems super happy with it. You never know until you know but we have a really amazing cast, led by Jay Ellis who’s a star; it was a joy to make that with him and the rest of them. You know me, I’m just an optimistic person in general, so I’m hopeful and optimistic that we could be talking about that in the near future.
Even though The Rookie: Feds only ran for one season, The Rookie is still staying strong. Obviously, ABC still wants to expand the universe, otherwise it wouldn’t have ordered a pilot for The Rookie: North in the first place. The process for the spinoff has been long, but the fact that it has a strong cast and is being received well by ABC is definitely a good thing. However, you never know how things could turn out, but Hawley seems somewhat confident.
Article continues belowUnlike its predecessors, The Rookie: North is set in Washington state. It still follows someone who is the oldest rookie in his police department, played by Ellis, but it is not set in some big city. But that’s what’s so great about it, as Hawley explained:
[There was] also the idea that this is not just another big-city cop show, that we have three different zones. It’s meant to be Tacoma, the suburbs, and then the middle of nowhere, meth lab in the woods-type thing. [The setting] really does feel different than L.A., it really does change the dynamic of the show, even though the setup is the same, patrol officers running around.
Aside from The Rookie, it seems like most cop shows take place in a big city, whether it’s LA, Chicago, New York, or somewhere else. So it would be nice to see one taking place out in the suburbs, or at least a big city that isn’t used as often. The different setting sets The Rookie: North apart from The Rookie, too, while also staying in the same universe. And this all just makes me hope even more that someday we'll be able to see it.
The wait is going to be excruciating as ABC continues making decisions for next season. The network still has to make decisions on a few more shows on its current lineup, and also keep some space open for potential new ones, The Rookie: North included. But since ABC seems to like it, there’s a possibility that The Rookie might be joined by another spinoff next season.
Hopefully, news will be announced soon, but in the meantime, new episodes of The Rookie air on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC, streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.
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