The Rookie Spinoff Can't Just Be The Same Premise In A New Location Or It's Not Going To Make It

Summary

‘The Rookie North’ spinoff needs a fresh premise to distinguish itself and be successful.
Learn from ‘The Rookie: Feds,’ which didn’t last, to avoid creative problems and cancellation.
Maintain the heartwarming and humorous tone of the original while changing locations for interest.

Showrunner Alexi Hawley shared his hopes for a new spinoff of his hit ABC drama The Rookie a while ago, and now that The Rookie North is in the works, it needs to stand out from the crowd. The original ABC procedural premiered in 2018 with Nathan Fillion in the title role of John Nolan, the “rookie” cop who switches up his life and joins the LAPD. The Rookie has one spinoff, The Rookie: Feds, which starred Niecy Nash-Betts in the main role of Simone Clark, who, like Fillion’s John Nolan, changes careers in middle age. Simone becomes an FBI agent and solves crimes in every episode. The show aired from September 2022 to May 2023, but only had one 22-episode season.

Deadline reported in early July 2025 that The Rookie North could get a pilot order shortly. At this point, not many details have been shared. Although fans are intrigued by a Rookie spinoff since the original is so popular, it’s only going to work if it feels distinct and unique.

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The Rookie Spinoff The Rookie North Needs To Have A Different, Fresh Premise

Titus Makin Jr., Melissa O'Neil and Nathan Fillion in The Rookie

So far, fans have found out that The Rookie North is about a new cop named Alex in Washington state. While Nolan is no longer a “rookie” cop on the original show, it sounds like the new main character will be embarking on a similar journey. However, The Rookie North should have a new premise that sets it apart from its predecessor.

While The Rookie: Feds featured the same formula as The Rookie, the show only lasted for one season. Although the 2023 WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes were one reason why the spinoff was canceled, the show suffered from some creative problems as well. It’s possible to say it was too similar to the first show and didn’t feature any big swings or take any big risks.

While of course the main character in The Rookie spinoff will get a new job and make a big change to their life, since that’s the spirit of the franchise, it would make sense if they had an entirely new career. Instead of being a cop, they could work in a profession that allows them to help people, from teaching to social work. That would enable the spinoff to maintain the hopeful and charming vibe of the original and also leave plenty of room for other major and minor characters for fans to become invested in.

However, The Rookie North should definitely be inspired by the original show’s tone. The series manages to maintain a heartwarming tone and sense of humor despite the tough cases that the main characters take on, and that makes it binge-worthy. If the spinoff can achieve this, then that will go a long way toward making it a success. The spinoff should also change locations from time to time, like The Rookie season 8. Seeing some of the characters in Prague instead of Los Angeles will be interesting, and it’s the right move to shake things up.

What Do Fans Think Of The Rookie Spinoff The Rookie North?

Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) and Lucy Chen (Melissa O'Neil) on The Rookie

Fans definitely want The Rookie North to feel different from the original and have discussed it in a few Reddit threads. Redditor @Draconuus95 wrote:

“I’m still hoping this new show takes a more rural highway patrol style with it. Don’t think making it about Seattle or something would be enough to differentiate from the original series.”

Others don’t want any crossovers between The Rookie and The Rookie North. While a bit of this is inevitable, it can sometimes be messy, confusing, or corny. One Redditor wrote, “I hope they don’t jumble up the cases like they did with the Rookie and Feds.”

The Rookie

Release Date: October 16, 2018
Network: ABC
Showrunner: Alexi Hawley
Directors: Tori Garrett, Chi-Yoon Chung, Michael Goi, Sylvain White, Lisa Demaine, Lanre Olabisi, Bill Johnson, David McWhirter, Liz Friedlander, Daniel Willis, Toa Fraser, Anne Renton, Jon Huertas, Cherie Nowlan, TK Shom, Rob Seidenglanz, Valerie Weiss, Barbara Brown, Charissa Sanjarernsuithikul, SJ Main Muñoz, Nelson McCormick, Marcus Stokes, Adam Davidson, Anna Mastro
Writers: Corey Miller, Bill Rinier, Zoe Cheng, Mary Trahan, Ally Seibert, Liz Alper, Nick Hurwitz, Racheal Seymour, Madeleine Coghlan, David Radcliff