At San Diego Comic-Con, The Rookie executive producer and star Nathan Fillion reveals that the show is looking to add characters from its short-lived spinoff, The Rookie: Feds. Originally premiering on ABC in late 2018, The Rookie follows Fillion’s character, John Nolan, a 45-year-old police officer who becomes the oldest rookie at the Los Angeles Police Department. Since its premiere, the show has found considerable success, producing 6 seasons that have amassed huge viewership numbers, along with a spinoff, The Rookie: Feds, which unfortunately got canceled after season 1.
Now, Deadline reports that during The Rookie’s San Diego Comic-Con panel, Fillion shared that it’s very likely that characters from Feds might appear in the original show’s coming seasons. He added that they’re trying to create a world where both characters from the original show and The Rookie: Feds can co-exist. When asked specifically if viewers will ever see characters from Feds again, he said:
The short answer is yes. We are trying to create a universe in which we can all exist. The title and the idea that it was my show was always just a trick. It’s always been an ensemble cast. I’m so very pleased to be able to say this program can, at any one time, rest squarely on the shoulders of any one member of this cast.
Why Was The Rookie: Feds Canceled?
Considering the strong viewership numbers that The Rookie has been able to garner since it first premiered in 2018, it is quite understandable that ABC would try to build a franchise off the show. The Rookie is currently headed into season 7, and there’s no suggestion it is ending anytime soon. The first spinoff, however, didn’t go as planned, as The Rookie: Feds, which had a similar premise to the original show, only lasted one season and got canceled a few months after its premiere.
There are quite a number of factors that led to The Rookie: Feds’ cancelation, but chief among them is that the show did not manage to amass as many viewers as its predecessor.The Rookie: Feds opened to 2.2 million viewers and managed an average of 4.3 million total viewers throughout the season. In comparison, The Rookie averaged about 6 million total viewers during its latest season, making it one of ABC’s most-watched titles.
Another factor that added to The Rookie: Feds’ woes was the 2023 Hollywood strikes that affected most of the film industry. Even though the strikes played a part in the show’s demise, co-creator Alexi Hawley revealed in an interview that The Rookie: Feds’ cancelation was bigger than the strikes, adding that networks have become increasingly picky with their shows. The Rookie spinoff just happened to be one of those that didn’t make the cut, but its characters might still have the chance for a second life.
