ABC has started to set its primetime lineup for the 2026-2027 season, with renewals for several of its dramas already announced. But what about the future of one of its longest-running series?
The Rookie is currently in its eighth season, and there’s talk of another spinoff on the way. (Characters from The Rookie: Feds, which only ran one season in 2022, have popped up on the original series.) But ABC has yet to make an announcement about the future of the series that follows the LAPD, which John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) joined as the oldest rookie.
Read on for everything we know so far about The Rookie Season 9.
Is The Rookie renewed for Season 9?
No, not yet. But there’s no reason to be worried just yet. The series wasn’t renewed for Season 8 until April 2025. Furthermore, the ratings suggest good news could be coming: It’s ranked seventh in the key demo among adults 18-49 among ABC’s scripted shows and ahead of 9-1-1: Nashville (which was renewed) and eighth in total viewers and ahead of Abbott Elementary (which was renewed).
When will The Rookie Season 9 premiere?
Should the series return, chances are it could remain a midseason show, as it has been for the past three seasons, putting a Season 9 premiere date in January 2027.
The official logline reads: “John Nolan, once the oldest rookie in the LAPD, now uses his life experience, determination, and sense of humor to keep up with rookies 20+ years his junior. John and the team must navigate the intense, unpredictable nature of their jobs and personal challenges, while uplifting the next generation of first responders.”
The new series that would star Jay Ellis in a role similar to Fillion’s, becoming the oldest rookie in a police department (in Washington state), remains in the pilot stage.
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