The Rookie Season 9: Release Date, New Spinoff and More
TL;DR — The Rookie Season 9 premieres in April 2027 on ABC, streaming on Hulu, and a new spinoff, The Rookie: North, starring Jay Ellis, follows in May 2027. Season 9 picks up from Season 8's cliffhanger, in which Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford were kidnapped. Exact premiere days haven't been announced yet.
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Take the quizThe essentials
- Season 9: April 2027 on ABC, streaming on Hulu.
- The Rookie: North: May 2027, starring Jay Ellis.
- Showrunner: Alexi Hawley, who runs both shows, so crossovers are easy to arrange.
- Exact dates: not announced yet.
Where Season 8 left off
Season 8 ended on a cliffhanger, with Lucy Chen (Melissa O'Neil) and Tim Bradford (Eric Winter) kidnapped. Hawley has stressed they were "taken and not killed," so Season 9 opens with the rescue rather than a recast. Nathan Fillion returns as John Nolan.
About The Rookie: North
Jay Ellis plays Alex Holland, who, like Nolan in the original show, starts over as a rookie police officer later in life. It's ABC's second attempt at a Rookie spinoff. The first, The Rookie: Feds, starring Niecy Nash-Betts, ran for one season in 2022 and 2023 before it was cancelled.
Why the wait is so long
The Rookie has moved to a midseason slot in recent years, so new seasons arrive in the first half of the year rather than the autumn. Airing Season 9 in April lets ABC launch North straight after it in May, while the main show's audience is still watching.
Frequently asked questions
What is The Rookie: North? A spinoff starring Jay Ellis as Alex Holland, a man starting over as a rookie cop, much like John Nolan in the original. It premieres in May 2027.
Where can I catch up on The Rookie? Past seasons stream on Hulu in the US. Availability varies elsewhere.
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