Nathan Fillion’s 8-Season Crime Thriller Gets Hit By Major Setback In Its Expansion Plans

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Plans for a potential continuation of the popular police drama, The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillion, are facing challenges as ABC considers its future programming. With the current TV season nearing its end, networks are beginning to plan for the fall of 2026. While CBS has already finalized its schedule, other networks are still deciding what shows to include.

Alexi Hawley is developing another spin-off of The Rookie, this time focusing on Jay Ellis’ character, Alex Holland, as he navigates a challenging midlife crisis and seeks a new direction in life. The idea is similar to Nathan Fillion’s journey as John Nolan in the original series – Alex will become the youngest rookie at the Pierce County Police Department in the Pacific Northwest. ABC has been considering The Rookie: North for weeks, but their silence, combined with a recent decision, is now casting doubt on whether the show will be picked up.

RJ Decker Season 2’s Renewal Is Concerning For The Rookie: North’s Order Chances

After cancelling many popular shows in early May, ABC has announced some renewals for the 2026-2027 television season. Among them is a second season of Scott Speedman’s RJ Decker. While this is positive news for the new crime drama, it likely means the end of The Rookie: North.

According to a report from Deadline, the future of the Rookie spin-off depends on what happens with the original Rookie series. ABC only had one hour-long time slot available for the 2026-2027 TV season, meaning they could only choose one show. Now that RJ Decker is confirmed, it’s unclear if The Rookie: North will happen next season.

Over the past few months, the actors and creators of the new spinoff have been enthusiastic about the project, predicting a positive reception from viewers. The pilot episode has been filmed, even featuring an episode that crosses over with The Rookie, which is great news. However, the series’ future is now uncertain.

What Are The Chances Of The Rookie: North Still Happening?

Even though the renewal of RJ Decker raises questions about the future of The Rookie: North, there’s still a path forward for the new show. ABC might be considering a shared timeslot, meaning both shows would air during the 2026-2027 season, but with shorter seasons – around 10 to 13 episodes each, instead of the usual 18-22. This would allow one show to take over the primetime slot when the other finishes its run.

It’s becoming more common for network TV channels to shorten seasons of shows. CBS is doing this with its NCIS spinoffs, NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney, for the next TV season. This lets them make room for new projects without completely canceling shows just because there isn’t enough time to air them. While it’s not the best solution, it’s preferable to not creating a spinoff of The Rookie at all.

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2026-05-09 15:20