Do we need another Rookie spin-off?
No, my dear Rookie Fanatics, the answer is a resounding NO!
Today, news outlets have been buzzing about a second spinoff of ABC’s popular police drama. In any other situation, it might have attracted fans.
However, for those of us still reeling from the chaos that was Rookie: FBI , we’re skeptical of ABC’s attempts to expand the popular franchise.
First, franchise fatigue is definitely real.
Television has built a new era around franchises, spinoffs, revivals, reboots, and adaptations.
This is not to say that many of them are bad or even unsuccessful. NCIS: Origins is one of the most enjoyable expansions to the NCIS series in a long time.
Dick Wolf has pretty much cornered the market with three different series on two different networks, Law & Order, Chicago One, and FBI, and, boy, does he Might do the same thing in the upcoming On Call on Prime.
Police procedurals, in particular, are always a huge success and are usually a safe bet.
ABC has realized that franchise or producer supremacy serves them well.
The Grey’s Anatomy universe has been a mainstay for the network, but we’re still lamenting the loss of the Shondaland series’ primetime dominance years ago.
But now, they’re focused on making Ryan Murphy’s show a network staple, especially with the 9-1-1 adaptation.
The 9-1-1 franchise will also expand with the release of new series (sorry, 9-1-1: Lone Star, You Must Die so that whatever new location can thrive in its new home).
Now, ABC is trying to make another Rookie spinoff, even though they easily passed on Niecy Nash Bates’ Rookie: FBI .
Some of us are still a little bitter about things like Suits: Los Angeles set to debut as a way to capitalize on Suits’ newfound success and expand on the series after all these years.
Much to the chagrin of our four Pearson fanatics, who never saw the first spin-off get the success it deserved.
Everywhere you look, on every network, they are choosing to repeat or expand on what they think works, rather than taking greater risks and creating original, fresh content.
Even as someone who loves spin-offs, both, or the franchise as a whole, this sucks; it’s disappointing that everyone is trying to reinvent the wheel instead of making a big push to make something completely new.
“The Rookie,” my dear TV fanatics, is the epitome of “more of the same.” They didn’t even try to do anything different with this latest spin-off.
Instead, after an unsuccessful spinoff in which a middle-aged, queer woman of color got a fresh start as an FBI agent, the new spinoff intends to stick to the original format, no matter how implausible that may be.
What’s the premise of the new spin-off show, you ask?
In this spin-off series, a male police officer enters a new phase of his life in the second act.
Therefore, the play will once again tell the story of a middle-aged man facing a mid-life crisis who becomes a police officer.
Are you blinking like me now? Isn’t this the exact same format as the original show starring Nathan Fillion?
Oh, wait, you guys. The show will differ from the original series in that it will take place somewhere in Washington state!
In Washington, I bet it’s somewhere in Seattle because let’s be honest, everyone acts like Seattle is the only city in Washington!
Hey, maybe, if we’re lucky, they can do a crossover with Grey’s Anatomy or something somehow. Doubtful, but a girl can dream.
As such, The Rookie not only chooses to repeat the original series verbatim, but it also essentially borrows from the 9-1-1 series.
We will copy the same show over and over again and place it in new locations!
It feels like they are resubmitting an old assignment with a new date and title and hoping for the best.
The thing is, it applies to 9-1-1 as a first responder show and more specifically deals with firefighter and paramedic responses to a variety of calls that can be culturally specific to any location they are in (earthquakes and wildfires in Los Angeles) cowboy-themed follies in Los Angeles or Texas).
There’s a different feel when you’re dealing exclusively with law enforcement.
While reviews for the award-winning Rookie: FBI spinoff starring Baez were mixed, it was refreshing to explore a woman transitioning into a new phase of her life through a career change.
There’s nothing wrong with the concept itself, and it’s a storyline worth exploring since we’ve exhausted 50 years of storylines about men and their midlife crises!
Would it kill anyone if at least this latest spin-off was female-led, just for some eye-rolling?
This is where news of this spin-off series causes more boredom and frustration than excitement.
“The Rookie” has been on the air for seven years and remains one of the network’s top series. It was a huge success and may have a long life ahead of it.
The concern is that Hawley and ABC may be depleting their own resources by focusing on newer, fancier versions of the same series rather than concentrating on the ones they already have.
If they were going to do that, if they actually, you know, made some changes or a more original approach to this new series, wouldn’t that be worth it?
We can at least feel like it’s worthwhile or understand the purpose.
It’s ironic that the possibility of replacing The Rookie with a newer, younger version of the same series isn’t lost, given the ongoing themes of the series.
I’m not going to knock something that already works, but it’s ridiculous and kind of underwhelming.
But maybe we’re still too early. As new information about the spin-off continues to emerge, along with interesting casting choices and more detailed plot synopses, we may change our minds about this.
As it stands, The Rookie is essentially expanding its universe by copying and pasting itself, and it’s a prime example of everything that’s wrong, outdated, annoying, and bland about the franchise era, and why audiences no longer feel for it. A classic example of interest.
It’s your turn, Rookie Fanatic.
What do you think of another spin-off?
Do you like that they’re repeating the same concept in a new location? Turn off the sound below.
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