ABC has announced that they've ordered a sixth season for the law enforcement procedural series drama series, The Rookie. There is no news regarding when the season will premiere, however, the season 5 finale will be taking its bow on the network on Tuesday, May 2. The Rookieis created by Alexi Hawley and is set to hit its 100th episode mark during the upcoming season while also hitting the Top 5 of ABC’s most viewed scripted series.
The Rookie began its run in 2018 and rapidly became a fan favorite on the network. The series is led by Nathan Fillion who has a long-standing relationship with ABC after starring in another network procedural, Castle. The show ran for eight seasons before it was canceled in May 2016. Fillion's latest show now sees the actor play 40-year-old rookie John Nolan who’s the oldest new recruit at the Los Angeles Police Department. Following his divorce from his partner, and his inadvertent contribution in helping police stop a bank robbery, he decides to move from his home in Pennsylvania to sunny California to become a police officer. His enrollment in the police academy and eventual graduation, sees him now get to grips with life on the force.
Hawley was inspired to create the procedural drama after learning of real life police officer William Norcross who joined the LAPD in 2015 while in his mid-40s. The series was given a spin-off series last year called The Rookie: Feds, and when The Rookie saw its slot moved from Sunday to Tuesday, the series saw a 40% increase in total viewers. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about the prospect of a crossover between the original and spinoff shows, Hawley said, "ABC is moving us to Tuesdays at 8pm, and then Feds comes right after. It's incredible. That's a seismic vote of confidence from ABC, building a night around us. It's a seamless two hours. It's really special how it comes together." The renewal of The Rookie makes it the third season on the ABC slate to earn a renewal after Abbott Elementary and Grey’s Anatomy.
The Rookie Cast and Crew
Starring alongside Fillion in The Rookie are Mekia Cox, Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Melissa O’Neil, Eric Winter, Shawn Ashmore, Jenna Dewan and Tru Valentino. Valentino who plays Officer Aaron Thorsen first appeared on the show in Season 4. The actor was, however, upgraded to series regular in season 5. The show marks the another working relationship for Fillion and Hawley after the pair worked together on Castle. The pair now serve as executive producers on The Rookie alongside Mark Gordon, Michelle Chapman, Bill Norcross, and Terence Paul Winter.