ABC is starting the week off with renewals.
On Monday morning, the network announced The Rookie and Will Trent would both be on its 2026-27 slate.
The decision comes as no surprise since both shows perform well in linear ratings and overperform when delayed viewing is factored in.
The Rookie’s renewal is for Season 9, while Will Trent‘s pickup is for Season 9.
The renewal for The Rookie comes as the show has once again been bounced around ABC’s schedule.
It resonates no matter where the network slots it, and as a midseason replacement, it is one of the network’s most reliable performers.
Will Trent is also a midseason replacement that benefits from people binging the show between seasons, and drumming up a lot of interest when new episodes debut.
Both shows join 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Nashville, Abbott Elementary, Grey’s Anatomy, and High Potential on ABC’s renewal list for next season.
The only drama still awaiting a decision is RJ Decker. ABC has touted the Scott Speedman mystery drama as a strong performer in delayed viewing.
The good news is that RJ Decker Season 1 has been consistent across its first six episodes on ABC.
There is a case for renewal here, but it may come down to real estate on the schedule.
ABC has a wealth of shows in the works for next season, including a second stab at a spinoff of The Rookie.
The network has yet to decide on Scrubs and Shifting Gears, its two highest-rated scripted series on-air.
That should be enough to get them renewed, but there’s still a month before we know the network’s scheduling plans.
Elsewhere in TV news this fine Monday afternoon, Netflix has unveiled a teaser for its upcoming Little House on the Prairie reboot.
The footage introduces us to the Ingalls family, the center of the new series.
“Part hopeful family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West, this fresh adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s iconic semi-autobiographical Little House books offers a kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier,” the official description teases.
I think it’s fair to say that this new take on Little House on the Prairie won’t lose the hopeful tone that made the NBC series such a success.
Netflix likes what it has seen so far because a second season has already been ordered.
The enduring popularity of the original series and the novels it was spun off from probably means that Netflix is aware this show will resonate.
In addition to Little House on the Prairie, Netflix also debuted the teaser for The Boroughs, another upcoming drama.
The series comes from the executive producers of Stranger Things, and yes, it looks just as dark.
“In the sun-drenched expanse of the New Mexico desert lies The Boroughs, a picturesque retirement community promising its residents the time of their lives,” the logline teases.
“But for new arrival Sam Cooper (Alfred Molina), paradise feels more like a prison. Everything changes when a terrifying nighttime encounter reveals that something monstrous is stalking the manicured cul-de-sacs.”
“Dismissed by the powers that be as just another confused old man, Sam finds unlikely allies in a band of neighborhood misfits: a sharp-witted former journalist, a spiritual seeker, a cynical music manager, and a brilliant doctor running out of options,” the description continues.
“Overlooked and underestimated, these unlikely heroes must band together to unravel the dark truth at the heart of The Boroughs before their time runs out.”
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