A Wilmington-shot ABC series made its season-two premiere Sept. 15, with local sets and locations used to help create the show's South Florida setting.
"R.J. Decker," which stars Scott Speedman ("Felicity," "Grey's Anatomy") as the crime-solving, ex-con private eye of the title, shot its pilot episode in the Wilmington area in the summer of 2025. It wrapped production on its first season in April 2026.
Thanks in part to scoring a five-year ratings high for ABC's 10 p.m. time slot, the show got a second season. It's been shooting in the Wilmington area and is set to continue at least through Sept. 16.
Episodes air 10 p.m. Tuesday on ABC and are available for streaming the next day on Hulu.
If you haven't yet seen the season two premiere of "R.J.
Decker," beware of spoilers ahead.
The episode opened with a highly touted and extended intro sequence that paired "R.J. Decker" with hit ABC reality competition shows "Dancing with the Stars" (which premiered its 34th season 8 p.m. Sept. 15) and "The Bachelor."
It also debuted a new title sequence inspired by HBO's edgy hit show "The White Lotus."
Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy of "Dancing with the Stars" appeared as leaders of a "dance mob" that served as a distraction so that a pickpocket played by Joey Graziadei, a past winner of "The Bachelor," could pilfer purses. The thief was quickly nabbed by Speedman's title character.
The sequence was shot at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea in Florida, where the show is set and partially shot.
The rest of the episode concerned Decker and police detective Melody "Mel" Abreu (Bevin Bru) looking into robberies and murders involving the "Bottomless Bandits," who rob banks without wearing pants. It also explored a simmering romance between Decker and Emi Ochoa (Jaina Lee Ortiz), whose mob-connected politician father was murdered at the end of season one.
The episode also introduced a guest star: Sasheer Zamata ("Saturday Night Live") as FBI Special Agent Melinda Winwood, who has a history with Abreu, who's married to Decker's ex-wife in the show.
For season two, set two months after the end of season one, Decker is back in a trailer park, with scenes shot at Castle Hayne "organic artist retreat" Walker World.
Other scenes are shot at nondescript area beach houses and a junkyard, with other scenes shot on sets at Cinespace Wilmington and in Florida.
According to film permits filed with the city of Wilmington, upcoming season two locations include Murray Storage at 1400 S. Fifth Ave.; Cape Fear Community College's Union Station; Crafted Outpost in the Cargo District; Suncourt Villas; Sir Tyler Drive near the Mayfaire shopping center; Eden Village; and various locations in Carolina Beach.
Other area locations for season two include downtown Wilmington, Flea Body’s Antique Mall on Market Street, Churchill Drive in the Glen Meade neighborhood and One Tree Hill Way in Love Grove.
Inspired by a 1987 novel by best-selling author Carl Hiassen titled "Double Whammy," each episode of "R.J. Decker" solves a self-contained mystery while also weaving in ongoing threads concerning Decker's reporter ex-wife (Adelaide Clemens of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine") and a mysterious woman tied to a powerful family (Ortiz).
The show is written by Rob Doherty (“Elementary”) and it also stars Kevin Rankin as Decker's buddy Aloysius "Wish" Aiken, who the private eye helped get out of prison.
John Staton is the arts and culture reporter for the StarNews. You can reach him at jstaton@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington plays Florida in season 2 premiere of ABC show | Exclusive
