As it prepares to return to ABC, new data proves why The Rookieis one of ABC’s most important shows. When it comes back on January 6, The Rookie season 8 will break new ground for the procedural by delivering a premiere with international flair. Part of the season’s first episode will unfold in Prague, the Czech Republic’s capital city, with filming taking place on location over the summer.
It’s a relatively rare occurrence for a broadcast network series. But even as it steadily approaches the possibility of ten seasons, the Alexi Hawley-created police dramedy has demonstrated impressive viewership growth while other procedurals lagged. The Rookie‘s ratings are even more impressive when spotlighting one portion of the audience in particular.
Varietybroke down the most-watched scripted programs in broadcast television during 2025. ABC’s High Potential and CBS’s Tracker came out on top, virtually in a tie for first place, but The Rookie season 7 might have the most surprising finding. The series was the #1 show of the year for Gen Z, specifically teens ranging from 12 to 17.
When looking at total at the total audience, with the inclusion of streaming and traditional viewing, The Rookie season 7 averaged more than 10 million viewers per episode. Other scripted comedies and dramas on broadcast TV also proved popular with the same age group, including High Potential and Abbott Elementary, as well as Ghosts and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage on CBS.
At first glance, a police procedural may not seem like the right match for a teen audience. But this particular take has a few different elements working in its favor. The Rookie‘s main cast has been largely consistent in recent years, featuring Nathan Fillion, Shawn Ashmore, Lisseth Chavez, Mekia Cox, Jenna Dewan, Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Melissa O’Neil, Eric Winter, and Deric Augustine joining as Miles Penn in season 7.
Another aspect that helps The Rookie‘s streaming viewership on Hulu, where it gains an increase of roughly five million viewers, is that it lends itself to clips that catch fire on social media. An element of that is thanks to the fan-favorite couple known as Chenford, with viewers tracking their various ups and downs and driving waves of discussion.
Another way to think of it, however, is that The Rookie is a hangout show. It’s like Friends or New Girl, albeit with procedural trappings. Fans watch it because they like the characters and care about their relationships. In that way, it’s an example of a well-established TV formula and bodes well for the chances of the upcoming spinoff The Rookie: North.
The Rookie season 8 premieres Tuesday, January 6, 2026, on ABC at 10 PM ET.
- Release Date
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October 16, 2018
- Showrunner
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Alexi Hawley
- Directors
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Tori Garrett, Chi-Yoon Chung, Michael Goi, Sylvain White, Lisa Demaine, Lanre Olabisi, Bill Johnson, David McWhirter, Liz Friedlander, Daniel Willis, Toa Fraser, Anne Renton, Jon Huertas, Cherie Nowlan, TK Shom, Rob Seidenglanz, Valerie Weiss, Barbara Brown, Charissa Sanjarernsuithikul, SJ Main Muñoz, Nelson McCormick, Marcus Stokes, Adam Davidson, Anna Mastro
- Writers
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Corey Miller, Bill Rinier, Zoe Cheng, Mary Trahan, Ally Seibert, Liz Alper, Nick Hurwitz, Racheal Seymour, Madeleine Coghlan, David Radcliff
