New Developments in ABC's Rookie Franchise and Network TV Outlook
Lily Fisher
Updated on May 17, 2026
By Published May 4, 2026, 7:45 AM EDT
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John Nolan and the Mid-Wilshire of is set to meet a new band of allies.
The is winding down, but network TV will continue beyond this year. This means that, aside from the cancellation and renewal news, this is also the time when traditional broadcasters decide on the new shows that will be included in their portfolio moving forward. ABC has a couple of shows in-development, but nothing as high profile as The Rookie: North — the much-anticipated spinoff of The Rookie.
Inspired by the premise as the flagship, is going through a disappointing midlife crisis when he is forced to find a new life purpose. This results in him joining Pierce County Police as its youngest rookie. Set in the Pacific Northwest, The Rookie: North will feature cases in the "urban coast to the rural forest." ABC has yet to make an official pilot order for the series, but Alexi Hawley has already filmed some exciting things for fans.
Speaking with , The Rookie creator has confirmed that the first crossover between the flagship and The Rookie: North has already been filmed. This means that if ABC officially picks up the show, the budding franchise has a special event already in place to be released. Additionally, Hawley also promises regular crossovers between the shows, despite being set and filmed in entirely different locations. Read his full quote below:
"I don't think it's a spoiler to say, there's a bit of crossover with Nathan in the pilot. Beyond that, organic opportunities, for sure, it’s harder obviously, with the Vancouver or the Pacific Northwest of it all."
Reports claim that the chances of The Rookie: North happening hinge on Scott Speedman's RJ Decker's fate. Currently, ABC can only take one of them, based on the limited slots that they have for the 2026-2027 TV cycle. That said, there's another way to have them both, by reducing each shows' respective episode count so they can share a timeslot — an increasingly popular move for broadcasters, as seen with .
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ABC is expected to make a decision sometime this week, but if they decide to pass on The Rookie: North, it will be a major blow to a lot of fans, especially considering everything that has been said about the show thus far. Now that its first The Rookie crossover is confirmed, it's possible that the interaction will be between Alex and Nolan, just to properly establish their connection. After all, even though FIllion no longer fits the titular character of the flagship, he is still its face.
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Whatever the case may be, hopefully ABC finds a way to fit both RJ Decker and The Rookie franchise into its portfolio. At this point, time-sharing doesn't seem to sound all that bad. The network can simply revisit and reassess the next cycle, when they're deciding what their 2027-2028 programming would look like.
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