Some of the best television shows started out as spin-offs of other series. These types of shows work because they already have an existing audience, but they can also earn new fans with a fresh take on the original concept. However, for every Better Call Saul and Frasier, there’s a Joanie Loves Chachi and Joey. With the news that The Rookie is planning on producing another spin-off (after the failed The Rookie: Feds installment), the question comes up of whether another show in this franchise is even necessary. As much as we love John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and the rest of the gang, a new spin-off doesn’t actually sound like the best idea.
‘The Rookie’ Is Getting (Another) Spin-Off
The Rookie creator, Alexi Hawley, has recently announced that a third offshoot of the series is currently in the early stages of development. The series will stay in the world of local law enforcement (instead of straying outside like the FBI-centered Feds), and will also feature a male police officer who has decided to take up this career later in life. This is similar to Nolan joining the Los Angeles Police Department as the oldest rookie ever. Instead of the new series taking place in LA, the spin-off will be set in Washington state. No other details about the spin-off are available at this time, but so far, it’s unclear how the series will be all that different from the original. Although it makes sense that Hawley and ABC would want to capitalize on The Rookie’s success, t he premise of the proposed spin-off certainly sounds almost identical to the Fillion-led show. This brings up concerns that maybe this spin-off isn’t destined for greatness.
There Are Signs the New Spin-Off of ‘The Rookie’ Won’t Work
One of the things that works to make spin-offs successful is following characters in a brand-new setting. So far, with the details that have been announced, it sounds like this spin-off has the same concept as the original series. At least with Feds, the main character was completely different from Nolan. Niecy Nash-Betts played Simone Clark, a rookie who has just joined the FBI. She is a woman of color and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, so she brought a lot of diversity and a unique perspective to the spin-off. It’s obviously not a fresh idea to see an older rookie police officer (portrayed by a man) trying to make it in law enforcement. Why would we need to have another series that doesn’t offer better representation and that’s so similar to the first one?
Fans might be more open to a spin-off if they hadn’t been burned with the last one. Feds was cancelled after just one season, even though Nash-Betts’ Simone led a team of fun, interesting characters. The series was close enough to The Rookie in terms of plotlines and perfecting that blend between drama and comedy, but it was different enough with its FBI setting and various supporting characters to feel altogether separate from its flagship. Even though the world of Feds was introduced in a two-episode backdoor pilot during The Rookie’s fourth season, the show wasn’t really given the proper support by ABC once it hit the air. After only one season, Feds wasn’t offered a chance to really find its audience and develop into a series that could stand on its own feet apart from The Rookie. If ABC wasn’t willing to fully back the first spin-off, should fans really invest their energy in another iteration that might get canceled just as quickly?
There are lots of ways that another spin-off could be successful, but it doesn’t seem as if Hawley will be pursuing those avenues. For example, a spin-off would be more primed for success if it followed an existing character from the original show rather than trying to recycle the same concept with all-new characters. It was announced that Tru Valentino, who plays Aaron Thorsen, won’t be returning for Season 7 of The Rookie. He’d be the perfect person to follow on his new path in a different series. Even if Hawley wants to feature completely new characters, just spotlighting another older male feels a bit tired now that it’s been done already. There are a lot of police procedurals out there, and without a truly unique premise, Hawley and his writing team would be better off focusing their energies on coming up with exciting storylines for the series that is already succeeding.
