What does fate have in store for our favorite rookie cop, John Nolan? Continue reading to find out more about The Rookie Season 6.
Over the last few months, die-hard fans of this beloved police procedural crime drama television series created by Alexi Hawley have begun the countdown to its official premiere on ABC. They are curious to know how the new season will follow John Nolan, a man in his forties who becomes the oldest rookie at the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Due to this premise, they expect nothing less in order to navigate the challenging twists and turns that will leave them on the edge of their seats.
So, if you are one of those who want to get clarity about the series’ current status, potential release date, plot, time slot cast, episode count, and other crucial details that have been disclosed ever since the renewal was announced earlier this year, then look no further! We at Web News Observer have compiled all of the latest information right here for you. Continue reading to find all of your answers about ABC’s The Rookie Season 6.
The Rookie Season 6 Expected Release Date
Firstly, it is with a heavy heart that we must inform the readers that the highly anticipated sixth season of “The Rookie” will not be available to stream anytime soon, and certainly not in September 2023. The fans of the gripping police drama series should be aware of this change, as for the next few months, they will have to exercise their patience a little longer as the production team has been facing unforeseen challenges that have caused delays in filming and post-production for the 2023–24 fall broadcast schedule on the ABC network.
If you recall, the sixth season was ordered earlier this year, in April 2023, which isn’t surprising as the series gained a massive reception from around the world. Making it one of the top five shows on ABC’s most-watched scripted series, the series’ renewal seemed almost certain. Since then, fans have been wondering when the series will make its official comeback.
So, if you’re wondering the same, then we can assure you that there is still a lot of time left! One of the main reasons for this delay in the release of The Rookie Season 6 is that the broadcast’s budgets are being tightened due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike along with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which hasn’t reached a resolution yet, causing the writing and production to be put on a temporary halt. Due to this, it’s highly unlikely that the creators will be able to release the new season for ABC’s 2023–24 fall broadcasting season.
Recently, the network has announced that the majority of its fall 2023 schedule would now include almost entirely nonscripted shows and reruns of prior seasons and that their scripted shows, which sadly include The Rookie Season 6, would now be rescheduled to premiere next year for the 2024 midseason premiere. Until there is any confirmation, our best prediction is that the series might 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, and it is speculated to premiere at the same time slot (10 p.m. ET) on the ABC network, which will later be available to stream on Hulu. We’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds! In conclusion, any updates relating to this subject are just pure conjecture, as the comments should be considered with a grain of salt! So, we recommend readers follow the official ABC social handles to catch up with all the latest updates whenever they are published.
Also, 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 to decide on 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 Expected Cast: Who will reprise their roles?
Though not much has been confirmed about the potential cast members, we speculate that the main cast members from the fifth season are still expected to return, 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 many 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 was 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.
Weekend plans: make breakfast and stream #TheRookie on Hulu! pic.twitter.com/LywFfzdKJj
— The Rookie (@therookie) May 13, 2023
The Rookie Season 6 Official Episode Count: How many will be there, and where to stream?
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
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.
Will The Rookie Season 6 be the last season of the show?
As of writing this, no updates regarding The Rookie Season 6 being the last one have been confirmed by the ABC network or acknowledged by the cast or any crew members. So, there is a chance that the show might be renewed for more seasons! As it remains one of the most-watched series with such an amazing overall rating from critics and fans around the world, the network might opt to renew the show for more seasons in the near future, maybe once the sixth season completes its run with all the brand new episodes.
What is the production status of The Rookie Season 6?
As mentioned above, filming for The Rookie Season 6 has not begun because of the ongoing dual strikes that have put a temporary halt on all the workings of major Hollywood production houses for months, due to which the filming of the new season has been delayed until an agreement between the parties involved is reached in the coming weeks.
On the bright side, in a note to members, the WGA says it will be meeting Friday with the AMPTP and CEOs from Netflix, Universal, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Disney for more talks, as right now, progress has been made, but no deal has been agreed upon. So, there is a chance an agreement might finally be reached. We’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds!
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.