Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but….
ABC‘s Will Trent and The Rookie — which airs their season finales tonight, starting at 8/7c — will not be premiering their new seasons until early next year.
Stop me if you’ve also heard this one before, but… TVLine has confirmed that when each of those Tuesday-night mainstays do return in 2026, it will be for uninterrupted*, 18-episode runs (*barring presidential addresses or other unavoidable preemptions).
This wait-and-spree approach to scheduling Will Trent and The Rookie “worked like gangbusters” this year, Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich told TVLine on Tuesday morning, in part because of the “great” promotional platform provided by ABC’s robust New Year’s Eve programming, but also due to the dramas’ passionate followings.
“Thursday nights have long been a dominant night for ABC, not just in terms or ratings but in terms of appointment TV and cult conversation,” Erwich noted, “and Tuesday night has now become that. We’re very proud of that achievement.”
The Rookie this season is averaging 5.4 million total viewers (with delayed playback), up 13% from last season and ranking No. 4 out of the six dramas ABC has aired this TV season (outdrawing Doctor Odyssey and Grey’s Anatomy). Will Trent, with 6.8 million viewers, is up 21% from last year and is ABC’s second-most watched drama, trailing only the freshman hit High Potential.
It’s in the coveted 18-49 demo, though, where ABC series really shines.
With cross-platform viewing factored in, The Rookie has been racking up a 1.77 demo rating this season — 72% of which comes from streaming — ranking No. 3 amongst all broadcast shows (behind High Potential‘s massive 2.47 rating and Abbott Elementary‘s 2.12).
Will Trent’s 1.28 demo rating, meanwhile, is good enough for No. 10 amongst all broadcast shows, beating buzzy CBS programs such as Matlock and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
