After roughly one year of development, ABC has officially announced the impending production of The Rookie: North. The Rookie: North, the second spinoff of the hit police procedural The Rookie following The Rookie: Feds, is moving from Los Angeles to Washington state to follow another aging rookie police detective. With John Nolan (Fillion) giving way to Alex Holland (Jay Ellis), the third franchise spinoff has a lot more in common with the first than the second.
While there’s still plenty to sift through as production ramps up, ABC released the logline for The Rookie: North. In presenting some of the most pressing details of the series thus far, fans of the mothership series ought to prepare for a drastic change from the bustling streets of Los Angeles to the scenic beauty of the forested Pacific Northwest.
‘The Rookie: North’s Premise, Explained
Following the not-so-successful first spinoff, The Rookie: Feds, The Rookie: North is going back to the basic inciting premise that launched The Rookie in 2018. The original series, created by Alexi Hawley, followed John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), a 40-something Pennsylvania native who foiled a bank robbery and soon began a new career in law enforcement. Nolan moves to Los Angeles to join the LAPD, becoming the Mid-Wilshire division’s oldest rookie officer.
As he balances his home and work life, Nolan makes strong connections with his colleagues and becomes romantically involved with LAFD firefighter, Bailey Nune (Jenna Dewan). From 2022 to 2023, the first spinoff of The Rookie, The Rookie: Feds, aired on ABC. Niecy Nash played Simone Clark, the oldest member to join the FBI Academy. After one season and 22 episodes, The Rookie: Feds was canceled, prompting Hawley and ABC to revert to the original formula that made the mothership series so successful.
According to ABC (via Deadline), The Rookie: North has received a pilot order and will follow:
“Alex Holland (Jay Ellis), who believed his midlife wasn’t worthy of a crisis. But after a violent home invasion ignites a dormant purpose, Alex battles a lifetime of failed commitments by joining the Pierce County Police Department as its oldest rookie. Policing from the urban coast to the rural forest, where backup isn’t just five minutes away, Alex must prove to his skeptical training officer, his fellow rookies, and himself that he’s finally found something worthy of the fight.”
Despite the character similarities, the newest spinoff promises to give fans a change of pace and scenery through its northern migration from Los Angeles to rural Washington.
Jay Ellis Will Lead ‘The Rookie: North’
So far, the only casting tidbit released for The Rookie: North is that of series lead, Jay Ellis. Per Deadline, Ellis’ contract to star in the upcoming spinoff took a while to lock in, due to his high demand. Ellis is a South Carolina native who earned his first TV credit on the ABC alien series Invasion. With a 20-year reunion upcoming for Ellis and ABC with The Rookie: North, the full-circle moment must be incredibly gratifying for both parties.
Ellis’ notable TV credits also include one-off episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, Hart of Dixie, iCarly, Masters of Sex, Grace and Frankie, and others. However, Ellis is best known for his recurring TV performances as Bryce Westbrook in The Game, Lawrence Walker in HBO’s Insecure, and, most recently, Jay Brown in Netflix’s Running Point and Colin Dobbs in All Her Fault. In addition to The Rookie: North, Ellis is slated to star in the upcoming sitcom, Not Suitable for Work.
In terms of movie credits, Ellis has increased his star wattage by appearing in Escape Room, Somebody I Used to Know, Freaky Tales, and The Gutter. Ellis’ most visible performance includes Lt. Rueben “Payback” Fitch in the star-studded hit Top Gun: Maverick. With such starry charisma and a versatile resume, Ellis is poised to play the compelling lead in The Rookie: North, following in Fillion’s footsteps as the eldest newbie on his respective police force.
Upon the casting news, Ellis beamed on Instagram:
“Yes, I’m the newest officer. No, I still don’t know where my locker is. And also does anyone know where I can get bulk ice for my soon-to-be daily ice bath for my knees and back?“
In welcoming Ellis to the franchise, Fillion also teased that he may appear as a guest star in The Rookie: North, saying:
“Hi, I’m Nathan Fillion. You may know me from such shows as The Rookie, or maybe The Rookie, or maybe, soon-to-be a guest on your Rookie spinoff. Jay, I just wanted to say thank you for coming to do this little spinoff. I also wanted to say welcome.”
When Will ‘The Rookie: North’ Be Released?
Although ABC has yet to give The Rookie: North an official release date, Hawley hinted at a rough timeline when speaking with Deadline. According to the series creator and showrunner, the episodes are being written and revised, and photography is shaping up, stating:
“There’s a script, I’ve been doing some drafts and getting some notes…I think we are looking at shooting a pilot in the spring or late winter, so we are gearing up for that.”
If The Rookie: North stays on schedule and begins filming this winter or next spring, then it’s likely that Season 1 will air sometime in the fall 2026 TV season. With The Rookie‘s eighth season slated to premiere on ABC on January 6, 2026, fans may be treated to the original series and the upcoming spinoff within the same calendar year.
Then again, the first five seasons of The Rookie premiered in September, while the last three debuted in January. If ABC sticks with the most recent trend, The Rookie: North could hit the airwaves as late as January 2027. Hawley is slated to write and direct the pilot.
- Release Date
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October 16, 2018
- Network
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ABC
- Showrunner
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Alexi Hawley
- Directors
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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
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Corey Miller, Bill Rinier, Zoe Cheng, Mary Trahan, Ally Seibert, Liz Alper, Nick Hurwitz, Racheal Seymour, Madeleine Coghlan, David Radcliff
