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What’s next for John Nolan on The Rookie? Fans will have to wait a while to find out. While ABC has renewed the show for season 6, new episodes are unlikely to air anytime soon due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. 

ABC renewed ‘The Rookie’ for season 6 

Nathan Fillion and Lisseth Chavez talking to a woman with purple hair in 'The Rookie' Season 5
Nathan Fillion and Lisseth Chavez in ‘The Rookie’ Season 5 | Raymond Liu/ABC via Getty Images

In April, ABC announced that The Rookie would return for a sixth season. 

“I couldn’t be more proud of this show, and I couldn’t be happier about coming back for another season,” series star Nathan Fillion, who plays John Nolan, shared on Instagram after season 6 was confirmed. “I know what I think is going to happen this next season, but you tell me yours!”

“Could not be happier with the news we got today!! @therookieabc fans get ready! … congrats to our entire cast and crew!” wrote Tim Bradford actor Eric Winter on Instagram. “We love what we do.”

Hollywood strikes have delayed production on ‘The Rookie’ 

Normally, fans could expect The Rookie Season 6 to begin airing in the fall. But that won’t be the case this year. Film and TV writers have been on the picket lines since early May. And in early July, members of the actors’ union also voted to strike. As a result, production on most TV shows has shut down. That means, come fall, there won’t be new episodes for the networks to air. 

Rather than new seasons of The Rookie, Grey’s Anatomy, Abbott Elementary, The Good Doctor, and other scripted shows, ABC’s fall schedule leans heavily on unscripted series. In addition to the debut of The Bachelor spinoff The Golden Bachelor the network will air new episodes of Dancing With the Stars, Celebrity Jeopardy!, and Shark Tank. 

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‘The Rookie: Feds’ Is Still Waiting for Season 2 Renewal During the 2023 Writers’ Strike

As of now, The Rookie and other scripted shows probably won’t return until 2024. We’ll get a better idea of a possible season 6 premiere date when the strikes end and everyone gets back to work. 

Another possible wrinkle for The Rookie Season 6? Fillion has been cast in Superman: Legacy, which is set to begin filming in January 2024. TVLine speculated that even if The Rookie resumes production in the fall (which is optimistic, given that the unions and studios seem far apart on a deal), it would be difficult for him to juggle both projects. However, The Rookie creator Alexi Hawley respond to that article with a one-word message on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter): “Nope!”

Meanwhile, a number of The Rookie actors have been showing their support for the strikes. Alyssa Diaz, who plays Angela Lopez, took to Instagram to share a photo of herself on the picket line with her co-stars Mekia Cox and Melissa O’Neil. Winter has also shared photos of himself picketing on social media. 

Source: TVLine.

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