The Rookie’s Future Looks Uncertain as ABC Prioritises New Series

ABC has decided to keep its new series, RJ Decker, on the air for 2026‑27, leaving only one hour‑long slot for new shows. This choice makes it hard to add a spinoff of the popular crime drama The Rookie, which had already filmed its pilot and included a crossover episode. The network’s silence on the spinoff, now called The Rookie: North, has caused concern among fans and creators who were excited about a new story featuring Jay Ellis’s character Alex Holland facing a midlife crisis. The decision comes after ABC cancelled many big shows early in May, but it still announced a few renewals for the next season. The addition of RJ Decker’s second season means that, unless ABC reshuffles its schedule, the new Rookie spin‑off may not receive a full season order.One possibility is that ABC could share the single available timeslot between RJ Decker and The Rookie: North, giving each a shorter run of about ten to thirteen episodes. This approach has worked for other networks that have trimmed episode counts on their NCIS spinoffs to keep more shows alive. If ABC chooses not to share the slot, the Rookie spinoff could be shelved entirely. Even though the pilot is finished and the cast has expressed enthusiasm, without a clear timeslot the show faces an uncertain future. The network’s strategy reflects a broader trend of reducing episode orders to fit more series into limited slots, rather than canceling projects outright. Whether this will allow The Rookie: North to debut remains to be seen, but it offers a potential path forward if ABC can accommodate both shows.