With seven seasons out and another on the way, Alexi Hawley's ABC drama "The Rookie" is one of the many seasoned and successful police procedurals of recent years. It may also very well continue to increase in prominence, considering star Nathan Fillion's high-profile gig as the angry Green Lantern Guy Gardner in "Superman."
On "The Rookie," Fillion's John Nolan is considerably better coiffed than his DC Universe character – but also considerably lower in crime-fighting pecking order. In his mid-40s,
Nolan unexpectedly finds his calling as a law enforcement officer and starts a new career in the LAPD, despite being decades older than most other rookies on the force. The rest of the show is structured around this likable character and his surprisingly inspiring career path, and as the series' lengthy shelf life proves, its audience loves this spin on the genre as well.
It would be outright shocking if a show as successful and (on paper at least) simple to replicate wouldn't receive a spin-off. Indeed, in 2022, ABC attempted to recapture the show's magic with a spin-off called "The Rookie: Feds." As the name implies, the show switches things up a bit, with Niecy Nash-Betts' Simone Clark replacing Nolan as the 40-something rookie pursuing her law enforcement dream -- only, in her case, the mission is to become an FBI special agent. Though it only got one season, "The Rookie: Feds" was well-liked by critics, and it's well worth watching if you're a fan of the parent series. In fact, out of all the great TV shows similar to "The Rookie," the spin-off resembles the original arguably the most. This makes "Feds" the perfect (and, with just 22 episodes out, perhaps the most easily manageable) procedural to binge while you're waiting for "The Rookie" season 8 to arrive.
Read more: 15 Best TV Shows That Were Canceled After Only One Season
The Rookie: Feds Failed To Find Its Wings, But It Remains A Great Show
ABC canceled "The Rookie: Feds" after just one season in 2023, but as is so often the case in the turbulent world of television, there were forces at play that aren't immediately obvious for those who aren't intimately familiar with the situation. The show's most obvious renewal window happened to coincide with the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, leading to "The Rookie: Feds" hanging in renewal purgatory for several months. Despite increasing (but less impressive than those of its parent series) ratings, things ultimately didn't work out in the show's favor, and a renewal never came.
According to Alexi Hawley, ABC's decision to axe the spin-off most likely came down to money. As he explained during an appearance at the 2024 Television Critics Tour (via Deadline):
"A lot had to do with the forces that led to strike [...] the consolidation of the industry, the economic impact of the streaming wars have had on different companies. I do feel it was not a creative decision. It was a business decision. I can't argue with that. I'm not running anything. It was a treat for us. We love that show [...] it's all I can really say."
Though "The Rookie: Feds" might well have benefitted from a longer run, at least we did get one good season of the series. While it's sad to have lost a quality show that seemed to be just finding its audience, the fact that the people who made "Feds" stand proudly behind the project and the praise it received from the critics both testify in favor of the show's immense watchability.
If you're looking for the easiest way to keep up with all the major movie and TV news, why not sign up to our free newsletter?
Read the original article on SlashFilm.
