ABC is expanding its police procedural franchise with a new spinoff series, The Rookie: North, set to premiere in early 2027 alongside Season 9 of the original show.
The new series is led by Jay Ellis, who plays rookie officer Alex Holland, a midlife recruit who joins the Pierce County Police Department in the Pacific Northwest after a violent home invasion.
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Creator Alexi Hawley confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that Nathan Fillion, star of the original series, will appear on the spinoff, with additional character crossovers planned across both shows.
Production and Crossovers
The spinoff is set in Washington State and filmed in Vancouver, while the flagship series films in Los Angeles.
Despite the distance, producers are intentionally designing narrative links between the two shows during their first shared broadcast season.
Hawley acknowledged the challenges of crossovers due to the geographical separation, but emphasized that they are planning to "collide those worlds where we can."
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He also expressed a desire to bring fan-favorite characters Tim Bradford and Lucy Chen into the new setting during the upcoming season.
"I do think we need to get Chenford in the mix up in North at some point in season 1," said Hawley.
The creator noted that while the new location offers a darker atmospheric tone, the spinoff retains the core identity and tone of the original series.
The ensemble cast includes Chris Sullivan, Karen Fukuhara, Froy Gutierrez, Janet Montgomery, Mya Lowe, and Malik Watson.
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Both Season 9 of The Rookie and the premiere season of The Rookie: North are currently in production ahead of their planned midseason debuts.
