ABC has renewed its Nathan Fillion-led cop drama “The Rookie” for a sixth season, with the series set to reach its 100th episode next season. The news comes ahead of the show’s fifth season finale on May 2nd.
The series is in the Top 5 of ABC’s most viewed scripted series and ranks No. 1 in its Tuesday 8pm timeslot this season among Adults 18-49. The shift to Tuesdays in January has seen an increase of 40% in total viewers and by 17% in the 18-49 demo.
In multiplatform viewing over 35 days, the series generates almost six times its Live+Same Day viewing numbers – meaning the vast majority of its audience engages in catch-up viewing of episodes instead of watching live.
Fillion stars as John Nolan, the oldest rookie in the LAPD, who uses his life experience and sense of humor to keep up with rookies twenty years his junior.
Nearing the end of his training, Nolan now faces his biggest challenge as a police officer when he must come to terms with his choices in pursuit of the truth. Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Melissa O’Neil, Eric Winter, and Jenna Dewan also star.
ABC is taking longer than usual on most renewals as it evaluates a number of the current series against its pilots, combined with tightening programming budgets, sliding linear ratings and a looming writer’s strike. The fate of the spin-off “The Rookie: Feds” is still up in the air, but talks are said to be promising.
Source: Deadline
