Jay Ellis Drives The Rookie North Abc Series Toward Pickup Decision
ABC is expected to decide on the rookie north abc series in the coming week, putting Jay Ellis’s spinoff in strong contention for a series pickup. The move would extend The Rookie franchise momentum after the show’s renewal for a ninth season, while a pilot set in Vancouver and the Los Angeles-based mothership keeps the franchise on both coasts.
Jay Ellis and Nathan Fillion
The Rookie: North centers on Alex Holland, played by Jay Ellis, who joins the Pierce County Police Department as its oldest rookie after a violent home invasion. Nathan Fillion appears as John Nolan in the pilot, and Alexi Hawley said, “I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say, there’s a bit of crossover with Nathan in the pilot.”
Hawley said he thinks there may be “a couple episodes, or two or three episodes a season” of crossover opportunities if the spinoff is picked up. That gives ABC a built-in way to keep both series moving together without forcing a fixed crossover quota across a full season.
ABC And Vancouver
The Rookie is set and films in Los Angeles, while The Rookie: North is set in the Pacific Northwest and films in Vancouver. The franchise has already used crossover storytelling before, including with Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19, plus The Rookie and The Rookie: Feds.
Earlier this week, ABC passed on the comedy pilot Do You Want Kids?, which leaves the drama race tighter around The Rookie: North and R.J. Decker. Deadline reported that one or both could still land reduced orders, and The Rookie: North was described as having a slight edge in the pickup race.
Season 8 Finale May 4
Season 8 of The Rookie ends May 4 at 10 PM on ABC and the next day on Hulu. Hawley said last month that the pilot “came out great” and that the network seemed “super happy with it,” while Ellis said, “I have seen the pilot twice, I think it’s great.”
Ellis also said, “I think you’re gonna fall in love with all these characters.” If ABC moves ahead, the franchise gets another shot at a paired-series strategy that already works for the network and a new lead in Alex Holland rather than another detached spinoff.
