Though we’re only a month or so into the 2017-18 television season, ABC has went ahead and given a straight-to-series order to light crime drama The Rookie, which will premiere during the 2018-19 season.
From Alexi Hawley (Castle), The Rookie tells the story of John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), the oldest rookie officer in the LAPD. After abandoning the comfortable small town life he once led, John moves to Los Angeles to fulfill his dream of being a police officer, though it won’t be easy being 20 years older than his peers or navigating the danger that comes with being a rookie cop.
The Rookie joins The Goldbergs and Modern Family as the only three ABC shows with their tickets punched for next season, as the two Wednesday comedies received two-season renewals this past May. It’s the second series to receive a straight-to-series order for 2018-19 following Dick Wolf’s FBI, which was nabbed by CBS in a competitive situation.
The series comes as ABC has expressed interest in producing more procedural dramas and making series that appeal more to Middle America. The network has had a difficult time making procedurals work, though, with Castle being their biggest success of the past decade and the likes of Forever and Body of Proof victims of early cancellations. ABC has gotten a good sign this season through the success of inspirational procedural The Good Doctor, which has become one of the most successful new shows of the fall.
