Will Trent’s Slot Fills Fast: ABC’s New Series With Grey’s Anatomy Actor Drops Major News

9-1-1: Nashville is no longer the only new hourlong drama to be premiering on ABC during the 2025-26 television season. The network has officially ordered RJ Decker to series.

Per Deadline, RJ Decker, which remains a working title for the drama series, stars Grey’s Anatomy fan favorite Scott Speedman as the title character, a disgraced newspaper photographer and ex-con who starts over as a private investigator in the colorful-if-crime-filled world of South Florida. The series follows him tackling cases that range from slightly odd to outright bizarre with the help of his journalist ex, her police detective wife, and a shadowy new benefactor, a woman from his past who could be his greatest ally… or his one-way ticket back to prison.

RJ Decker was created by Rob Doherty (Elementary) and is based on the 1987 novel Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen. The series, which blends crime procedural drama with humor, was picked up following a well-received pilot, with Speedman’s performance in particular earning high marks. RJ Decker‘s mix of drama and humor makes it a perfect fit for ABC, which has similar hits already on its schedule, like High Potential- and Will Trent. In fact, Paul McGuigan, who helmed the Will Trent pilot, was brought in to direct the RJ Decker pilot, forming a spiritual connection between the two shows.

Joining Speedman as series regulars on RJ Decker will be Kevin Rankin as Aloysius ‘Wish’ Aiken, Adelaide Clemens as Catherine Delacroix, and Bevin Bru as Melody ‘Mel’ Romero. Unfortunately, Weruche Opia, who played Shay Bennett in the pilot, is not being brought back for the series, with the series regular role set to be recast. An additional change may also be on the way, as a primary filming location for RJ Decker remains TBD. The pilot was shot in North Carolina. A first look at Speedman as RJ Decker can be viewed below.

9-1-1: Nashville is no longer the only new hourlong drama to be premiering on ABC during the 2025-26 television season. The network has officially ordered RJ Decker to series.

RJ Decker was created by Rob Doherty (Elementary) and is based on the 1987 novel Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen. The series, which blends crime procedural drama with humor, was picked up following a well-received pilot, with Speedman’s performance in particular earning high marks. RJ Decker‘s mix of drama and humor makes it a perfect fit for ABC, which has similar hits already on its schedule, like High Potential and Will Trent. In fact, Paul McGuigan, who helmed the Will Trent pilot, was brought in to direct the RJ Decker pilot, forming a spiritual connection between the two shows.

RJ Decker Is 1 of Several Exciting New Shows Coming to ABC

While RJ Decker was the only drama pilot ordered by ABC this year, it’s not the only new show hitting the network this season, as both 9-1-1: Nashville and the Scrubs revival bypassed the pilot process and received straight-to-series orders. Looking further ahead, ABC has picked up the comedy Do You Want Kids starring Rachel Bloom for the 2026-27 season. The network’s other comedy prospect, Mittens, which revolves around a neighborhood cat, is in consideration for the next pilot cycle. The Rookie creator Alexi Hawley is also developing a new spinoff, titled The Rookie North, which has not been formally greenlighted yet but is expected to film its pilot during this winter. An actor of the caliber of Speedman and Nathan Fillion, who leads The Rookie, is being eyed for the offshoot.

RJ Decker is slated to premiere midseason on ABC.

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