Did ABC Just Make THE ROOKIE’s Future More Complicated?

Published: June 28, 2026

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 13: Nathan Fillion attends the 2025 Disney Upfront at Javits Center on May 13, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

By Jessilyn Lancaster

THE ROOKIE is heading into its ninth season on ABC — but getting there just got more complicated.

“I think we should be worried [about them] for sure,” showrunner Alexi Hawley told TV Insider, speaking about Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen, the fan-beloved “Chenford” couple kidnapped at gunpoint moments after their beach-side Season 8 engagement. “There are real stakes on the show.”

That cliffhanger is one complication. The bigger one sits in ABC’s schedule: the network recently renewed freshman procedural RJ DECKER for a second season, effectively shutting the door — at least temporarily — on THE ROOKIE: NORTH, the planned spinoff starring Jay Ellis as Alex Holland, a Pacific Northwest cop who joins Pierce County Police after a midlife crisis forces him to start fresh. Per Deadline, ABC had only one remaining one-hour primetime slot for the 2026-2027 TV cycle, and actor Scott Speedman’s show got it.

The setback stings. The pilot for THE ROOKIE: NORTH has already been shot, at least one crossover episode with the flagship series is confirmed, and Screen Rant reported a timeslot-sharing arrangement — where both shows split a single primetime block with reduced episode counts — remains in play as a possible workaround.

This isn’t Season 9’s only headwind. Movieguide® reported back in February that budget cuts were expected, potentially shrinking the season’s usual 18-episode count. ABC’s entire drama lineup — including GREY’S ANATOMY, 9-1-1 and ABBOTT ELEMENTARY — faces the same squeeze.

None of it seems to have rattled creator Hawley much.

“So far, the mindset across the board is, as Melissa O’Neil said, ‘Let’s GREY’S ANATOMY this thing,'” Hawley told Deadline. “I think everybody is having a good time, it’s a cast that truly loves each other and enjoys coming to work, they get to do fun stuff every day. And at this point, heading into Season 9, I don’t feel like we’re anywhere near out of ideas.”

The numbers back him up. Season 8’s premiere ranked among ABC’s top five all-time series premieres, and THE ROOKIE is now the network’s third longest-running drama behind GREY’S ANATOMY and NYPD BLUE. Movieguide® covered the Season 9 renewal in April, noting TikTok virality — particularly with viewers under 18 — as a significant factor in the show’s staying power.

A California tax credit helps too. Season 9 was awarded $34.9 million, more than double what Season 7 received.

“The tax credit makes a huge difference to how film-friendly LA can be,” Hawley told Deadline.

Movieguide®’s review of THE ROOKIE Season 6 found the show “maintains its positive outlook on law enforcement and John’s insistence on protecting and serving his community, even at the risk of his own life.” That tone has been a constant through eight seasons — and presumably into a ninth.

Season 9 will resolve the Chenford kidnapping, follow Wesley’s covert investigation of a corrupt defense attorney, and navigate what Hawley has promised are real, earned consequences. Actor Deric Augustine’s Miles Penn is also confirmed for a character upgrade heading into the new season.

THE ROOKIE: NORTH’s pilot exists, the crossover episode was filmed and both the creative team and Jay Ellis have spent months publicly championing the project. For now, ABC’s schedule leaves it in limbo. Season 9 heads into a January 2027 premiere with more uncertainty than fans might have hoped — but THE ROOKIE has outlasted bigger challenges before.

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