Will the hit series return for another season this year or not? Here is everything we know so far about The Rookie Season 6.
After much anticipation ever since the series was renewed for a sixth season back in April 2023, for the 2023–24 fall broadcast season, since then the fandom is quite excited to see the new chapter of John Nolan, a man in his forties, who becomes the oldest rookie at the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). After all, the renewal is not a surprise as the show has been in the Top 5 of ABC’s most-viewed scripted series and is a great utility player who captured the hearts of millions!
Even though this was a great update for the fandom to look forward to, sadly, the excitement for its comeback didn’t last long, as the season’s scheduled premiere, which was bound to happen sometime in the fall of ABC 2023-24, the broadcast season has been put on definite hold! The main reason is the ongoing dual strikes, which include the 2023 WGA strike along with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which doesn’t seem to end anytime soon!
If you have been keeping up, then you’ll know that the recent meeting at the Sherman Oaks office of the Carol Lombardini-led organization also ended with mixed results. Hence, there is no doubt that this will cause a major halt in script writing and production, which usually begins around late August if the network wants to air the new season in the fall. Right now, it’s safe to say that the show might not be available to stream anytime soon or later this year, making the fandom wait for longer than they anticipated!
There are many reports still circulating that claim that the initial writing process for the upcoming season has not even started yet, which is quite unfortunate when we consider the fact that filming usually begins in the summer season if the network is aiming for its fall release later this year. As a direct result of this situation, it looks like the eagerly awaited new season of the series will not be available to stream in 2023 at all, which isn’t surprising considering that the situation with the dual strikes has been gaining momentum with each passing week.
The network has also confirmed and decided to postpone the release date for the majority of their scripted shows until next year! The ABC network has decided to include all the unscripted shows along with the reruns of prior seasons for the remaining months of 2023 in order to cover up the empty slots for the fall broadcast season due to the lack of active writers and actors that are taking part in the ongoing strikes causing delays in writing and production, which might last for quite some weeks, allowing the network to publish the revised schedule.
Due to this, any hopes from the network to release any new details about the new season plotlines, among other factors in 2023, let alone any expectation for the network to release the potential release date in the coming months, is way too far-fetched!
Moreover, after analyzing the current timeline, it’s not difficult to assume that the series will make its comeback sometime in the first quarter of 2024, which is January, February, and March. Only if the production commences by the end of this year, it is also speculated to air at the same time slot of 10 p.m. on ABC and later be available to stream on Hulu on a weekly basis without causing any unwanted changes in the primetime schedule. Until then, we’ll just have to wait, as more details will be confirmed later.
Last but not least, we strongly advise our readers to follow ABC on social media in order to be informed about all the recent information. To stay up-to-date on the dual strikes, the readers should also pay attention to the official statements made by credible sources in the press releases that will be issued in the near future to be informed about the status of the ongoing strikes. So, we recommend readers follow the official ABC social handles to catch up with all the latest updates whenever they are published.
In the meantime, check out the official renewal announcement as shared on the official Twitter handle of the show, quoting, “It’s official: #TheRookie will return for Season 6!!”
It's official: #TheRookie will return for Season 6!!! 🎉💙 pic.twitter.com/ssrJz3yo1G
— The Rookie (@therookie) April 17, 2023
The Rookie Season 6 Plot: What to expect from the new season?
Not much has been revealed about the future plotlines in order to avoid earlier, But we are certain that the series will continue to follow John Nolan, the oldest rookie in the LAPD, who has used his life experience, determination, and sense of humor to keep up with rookies 20 years his junior. Nearing the end of his training, Nolan now faces his biggest challenge as a police officer when he must come to terms with the choices he has made in pursuit of the truth.
The series is also based on real-life LAPD officer William Norcross, who moved to Los Angeles in 2015 and joined the department in his mid-40s. The series is also expected to continue from the fifth season’s final episode, “Under Siege,” which was directed by Bill Roe and written by Alexi Hawley. The episodes showcased Thorsen and Juarez being ambushed by masked assailants after investigating a suspected disturbance and being seriously wounded.
Later the viewers get to see that when Juarez is hospitalized and recounts a riddle to Nolan said to her by one of the assailants. Mid-Wilshire is put on high alert, and even further when Nolan and Bailey are attacked, and Harper’s child is shortly abducted. Lopez works with Wesley and Luna Grey in deciding the riddle. The police look into past run-ins, identifying one with a prior record, and find him dead in his booby-trapped house.
By the end of the season, they further narrow his possible prison encounters, with Bradford and Chen visiting Luke Moran. An army of masked men with police shields pursue them, but they’re swiftly taken out with reinforcements on-scene. With Moran caught and surrounded, he makes one last stand before being killed. As further reinforcements roll in, a mystery man in a passing vehicle praises how well Moran served as a distraction.
Take a look at the official promo for the fifth season’s final episode below:
The Rookie Season 6 Cast: Who will reprise their roles?
Though not much has been confirmed about the potential cast but for your consideration, we speculate that the main cast members from the fifth season are still expected to return which is as follows: Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Richard T. Jones as Wade Grey, Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen, Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, and Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen.
On the other hand, we would also like to highlight that these cast members are still subject to change, as it is still uncertain who will join or leave the show for the upcoming season due to cost-cutting caused by the impact of the ongoing double strikes, which have happened for the first time in 63 years, causing the production houses to come in a complete halt in Hollywood.
Hence, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens next and in what direction the creators will take moving forward! In addition to this, the beloved series is created by Alexi Hawley for ABC, and the series is produced by ABC Signature and Entertainment One (eOne), which is the lead studio and international distributor of The Rookie, a co-production with ABC Signature. Moreover, ABC Signature is a part of Disney Television Studios.
Congratulations to #TheRookie on the #Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Drama Series, Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie! #EmmyNoms #Emmys pic.twitter.com/99Q0pFPv3M
— The Rookie (@therookie) July 12, 2023
The Rookie Season 6 Episodes: Where to watch?
The next season was initially expected to consist of at least 22 episodes with an average runtime of 42–45 minutes, just to be consistent with the previous seasons. Of course, this is subject to change if the network wants to make a smaller or bigger season, which will be confirmed later. We would also like to stress the fact that the ongoing 2023 WGA strike, along with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, might drastically cause a drop in the official episode count, which can be changed to 15 to 18 episodes rather than the standard episode count for many original ABC shows.
For now, we’ll just have to wait and see what decision the show creators will take for the sixth season!
Moreover, despite being an ABC Network original series, all episodes of the first season are also available to stream on Hulu based on the viewer’s location. Moreover, you can also watch The Rookie on Disney Plus, Hotstar (for Indian audiences), or FuboTV. You can also stream The Rookie by renting or purchasing it on Amazon Instant Video, Lifetime, iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu, with a range of membership options based on viewers’ locations and preferences. Lastly, The Rookie has been licensed in more than 180 countries and territories.
Look back on an incredible season of #TheRookie with us 💙 pic.twitter.com/B8RzvtXuZf
— The Rookie (@therookie) July 24, 2023
The Rookie Season 6 Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any spin-off series?
Yes! The Rookie: Feds is another series in this universe which is an American police procedural crime drama television series and spin-off of The Rookie. Created by Alexi Hawley and Terence Paul Winter for ABC, the series follows Simone Clark, the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy. The basic premise of the series and its characters were introduced through a two-episode backdoor pilot in The Rookie.
Is there any official promo for The Rookie Season 6 available?
We would like to highlight that the network hasn’t released any new promotional stuff for the sixth season as filming hasn’t begun yet, and the release date hasn’t been disclosed, leaving a lot of time for marketing to begin. We’ll have to wait for it for some time! Until then, fans can check out the fifth season trailer to recap all the events that transpired which followed:
“Starting over isn’t easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of being an LAPD officer. As the force’s oldest rookie, he’s met with skepticism from some higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis. If he can’t keep up with the young cops and the criminals, he’ll be risking lives, including his own. But if he can use his life experience, determination, and sense of humor to give him an edge, he may just become a success in this new chapter of his life.”
While you catch up on all the episodes, let us know what you think of The Rookie being renewed for Season 6 in the comments.