ABC is standing behind The Rookie. The network has renewed the freshman drama for a second season.
I’m hearing that the show’s return was contingent on the quality of two high-profile cops dramas. The NYPD Blue reboot seemed like a sure thing and while it remains in contention, it’s being retooled a bit for a possible midseason launch if it comes together. The other show was also a reboot of Dick Wolf’s New York Undercover. The pilot is said to be good but not quite right for ABC which is why it’s being shopped to streaming services and even its original home at Fox. The failure of these two shows to clinch a spot on the lineup, allowed The Rookie to get a reprieve.
The pick-up for another cycle comes as ratings have been strong-ish for the show. The Rookie has averaged a 1.4 demo rating and 7.59 total viewers season-to-date. I think ABC was expecting a bigger start since star Nathan Fillion was coming off the highly successful Castle at the network but maybe there’s room for growth in season 2.
Castle vet Fillion plays John Nolan, the oldest rookie in the LAPD. At an age where most men are at the peak of their career, Nolan cast aside his comfortable, small-town life and moved to L.A. to pursue his dream of being a police officer. Now, surrounded by newbies that are decades younger than him, a much-mocked Nolan has to weave through personal and professional challenges and gain the respect of his colleagues to make his second shot at life count. The show also features Melissa O’Neil, who plays Fillion’s love interest and fellow officer, Eric Winter (Rosewood, Secrets & Lies), Afton Williamson (The Night Of, The Breaks) and Wisdom of the Crowd’s Richard T Jones, who plays the lead’s nemesis.
