The first word is out on when we can expect to see The Rookie return to our screens, albeit unofficial, it does come from a very reliable source. ABC ordered Season 7 of the police procedural weeks before the season 6 finale, but the network has yet to set a premiere date for the return. However, it appears show star Eric Winters has just revealed when the new season will arrive. Loosely based on the true life story of William Norcross, The Rookie follows John Nolan (Nathan Fillon), who after helping cops handle a robbery operation in his hometown decides to join the force becoming the oldest LAPD rookie at 45 years old.
Winters’ revelation comes while the actor who plays Tim Bradford was responding to a series of fan questions on X. One fan stole the opportunity to ask when the show’s seventh season will premiere to which Winters replied “Season 7 will hit in January,” alongside a happy face emoji. Season 6 premiered in February and fans were expecting the next season to follow up more closely as in Seasons 3 and 4, but this was not the case as ABC shifted the release schedule to mid-season. The decision did not sit well with Winters who expressed his displeasure at the time saying; “I was very nervous at first I’ll be honest, I was bummed.” However, Winters would later learn it was a strategic decision by ABC so done to avoid frequent breaks with the coming holidays and Presidential elections. He explained ABC’s decision saying:
“But then, I talked to a lot of people [about the move] at the upfronts, and it made perfect sense. I know how much of a priority The Rookie is to ABC and with this being an election year and a lot of time being devoted to those sorts of things, they’re trying to protect the show. There would be too many gaps, and the fans don’t love that. So they’re really trying to put us in a lineup where we can give eight episodes in a row with no interruption , and so I appreciate it for that reason.”
What To Expect From ‘The Rookie’ Season 7
There’s no official synopsis yet on the possible plot for Season 7, however, audiences can expect the show to pick up from where it stopped with many character arcs still running. As usual, there will be high stakes drama an action with showrunner Alexi Hawley recently teasing difficult times ahead for Nolan and wife Bailey (Jenna Dewan) amid the arrival of their new baby:
“On the completely practical side, Jenna [Dewan]’s about to have a baby in real life, so we do have to navigate that at the beginning of the season. So I think we’ll have to slow roll slightly and that, but yeah, look, especially in the adoption story, they do live dangerous lives. She’s going to have an ex-husband slash stalker out there. How does that impact them on a personal level will be interesting to explore.”
Winters didn’t reveal a specific date for the January premiere, but that’s understandable. It doesn’t at all steal from the excitement that Season 7 will arrive early in the mid-season most likely in the earlier weeks of the new year. Stay tuned to Collider for more details and catch up with the show on Hulu.
