ABC’s The Rookie has been a successful hit for the network throughout its impressive seven-season run. From a charismatic cast to action-packed episodes, there is clearly something about the series that keeps audiences coming back for more. Although the show follows various characters, its initial focus lies with John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), the oldest rookie to join the Los Angeles Police Department. Naturally, for a show that garnered the success that it did, a spin-off has always seemed to be a possibility.
Audiences got this spin-off with The Rookie: Feds. However, the series faced an immediate uphill battle considering its choice to pursue a relatively new cast of characters instead of focusing on one of the series’ regular characters from the original. Where The Rookie focuses on Nolan and the LAPD, The Rookie: Feds shifts focus to Simone Clark (Niecy Nash) and the FBI Academy. Unfortunately, viewers weren’t quite as charmed by the new series compared to the original, and The Rookie: Feds was canceled after only one season.
Same Story, Different Organization in ‘The Rookie: Feds’
Both The Rookie and The Rookie: Feds follow characters who are notable because of their age and rookie status in their jobs. Although both series have different characters and follow different organizations, the LAPD and the FBI Academy, respectively, the overarching narrative is ultimately the same. While a spin-off could’ve focused on expanding the story of an existing The Rookie character, it instead focused on a new cast who had only been briefly introduced to audiences in a single backdoor pilot episode in Season 4.
As a result of the similar narratives, audiences began comparing the shows to each other. In general, many viewers preferred the character of John Nolan over Simone Clark. Viewers were already acquainted with him and felt that Simone’s character was sometimes unrealistic in how she solved the episodes’ various conflicts. Whereas the character of John Nolan felt in place within the dramatic tone of the series, Simone Clark often got lost in The Rookie: Feds’ strangely comedic tone.
Decent Critic Ratings Weren’t Enough To Save ‘The Rookie: Feds’
Although The Rookie: Feds didn’t completely bomb with the critics, garnering a surprising 86% Rotten Tomatoes score, it still largely failed to get audiences on board, with general viewers giving it a mere 19% rating. Audiences noted the series struggled with its tone, adding humor that clashed with the FBI atmosphere and the often serious social and political issues the show discusses.
Some critics also noted that while the show sincerely attempts to address issues surrounding diversity and politics, introducing these aspects into existing plot lines felt somewhat sloppy and occasionally forced, causing the discussions to end up feeling tokenistic. Since the series focuses heavily on Simone’s background and upbringing, it also lacks the supporting character development that The Rookie excelled at.
Multiple Factors Influenced the Cancellation of ‘The Rookie: Feds’
In addition to the subpar audience ratings, The Rookie: Feds faced an uphill battle from the start. Due to the rise of interest in streaming services and their original series, network TV has begun to face more challenges. These challenges, such as lower viewership, have led to decreased profits. The Rookie: Feds wasn’t garnering enough viewers to make the money needed to continue producing it, and, as a result, it became an unfortunate casualty of the streaming wars.
If The Rookie: Feds were to have continued with Season 2, the pre-production stage would’ve been set to occur in 2023. However, both the writers’ and actors’ strikes took place during that time, disrupting the entertainment industry as a whole. By the time the strikes stopped, ABC had already canceled the series because it was deemed to be no longer viable within the network’s larger business plans.
