ABC is expanding ‘The Rookie’ universe once again, as spinoff ‘The Rookie: North‘ has officially been picked up to series, with the new drama expected to launch midseason alongside the mothership series.
The pickup comes ahead of ABC unveiling its 2026-27 schedule, and sees Jay Ellis (Insecure) lead the new series from The Rookie creator Alexi Hawley. The order is reportedly for 10 episodes, with the show set up to run alongside ‘The Rookie’, which is heading into Season 9 and is expected to return in January.
That should make things rather handy for crossover fans, as Nathan Fillion (Firefly) is already set to appear as John Nolan in the pilot episode of ‘The Rookie: North’. Fillion also executive produces both shows.
‘The Rookie: North’ introduces Alex Holland, played by Jay Ellis (Insecure), a man who believes his midlife is not quite worthy of a crisis. However, after a violent home invasion ignites a dormant sense of purpose, Alex battles a lifetime of failed commitments by joining the Pierce County Police Department as a rookie.
Set in the Pacific Northwest, the series shifts the action away from Los Angeles and into a very different policing landscape, covering everything from the urban coast to rural forest areas where backup is not always just five minutes away. Alex must prove himself to his sceptical training officer, his fellow rookies, and perhaps most importantly, himself.
Ellis stars alongside Chris Sullivan (This Is Us), Karen Fukuhara (The Boys), Froy Gutierrez (Teen Wolf), Janet Montgomery (New Amsterdam), Mya Lowe (My Life with the Walter Boys) and Malik Watson.
Like the original series, ‘The Rookie: North’ comes from Lionsgate Television in partnership with 20th Television. Alexi Hawley serves as executive producer, writer and showrunner, with Fillion, Mark Gordon, Bill Norcross and Michelle Chapman also executive producing. Ellis is a producer.
This marks the second attempt to expand ‘The Rookie’ into a franchise, following ‘The Rookie: Feds’, which starred Niecy Nash and aired for one season in 2022-23. That show was very much built for regular crossovers with the LA-set mothership, but Hawley has indicated ‘North’ may take a slightly lighter-touch approach due to the geography.
“It’s harder obviously, with the Vancouver or the Pacific Northwest of it all and LA,” said Hawley. “Feds was designed on purpose with a lot of crossovers.”
However, he added that he is looking at “maybe a couple episodes, or two or three episodes a season” for stories that cross over between the two shows, which should give fans a reason to keep an eye on both series when they arrive.
‘The Rookie’ is set and filmed in Los Angeles, whilst ‘The Rookie: North’ is set in the Pacific Northwest and films in Vancouver.
‘The Rookie: North‘ does not yet have a premiere date but is expected to air midseason on ABC in the USA. It does not yet have a confirmed UK broadcaster. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
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