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ABC is in the midst of airing The Rookie Season 5, but fans are anxious to know if and when the network will renew the show. The series has been on the edge of cancelation for the past few seasons, but it kept on pulling through. So, is The Rookie Season 6 inevitable? Or will the Nathan Fillion series end after five seasons?

Nathan Fillion, in character as John Nolan in 'The Rookie,' which will likely get renewed for season 6, wears a white unbuttoned collared shirt over a black shirt.
Nathan Fillion as John Nolan | ABC/Raymond Liu

ABC has not yet renewed ‘The Rookie’ for season 6

ABC has yet to report whether or not it has renewed or canceled The Rookie. However, many expect an announcement to come soon as some networks have already started releasing their renewals and cancelations.

ABC recently moved The Rookie Season 5 from Sundays to Tuesdays in 2023. The Tuesday night time slot was its original spot for season 1 before the network pushed it to Sundays for season 2. And now, it’s returned home for the second half of season 5, where it leads into its spinoff, The Rookie: Feds.

Some fans thought the move signaled bad news for The Rookie Season 6. However, after looking at the show’s ratings, it’s the complete opposite.

Why a renewal is more than likely

We wholeheartedly believe that ABC will renew The Rookie for season 6. It’s only a matter of time before the network makes the announcement. Of course, we live in an unstable time of television, where networks and streaming services seemingly hand out more cancelations than renewals. But looking at the cold hard facts, we can’t imagine a world where ABC lets go of The Rookie.

At the end of 2022, TVLine reported that The Rookie was ABC’s most-watched drama series in the fall. Total viewers were at 6.21 million, which was only a 3% decrease from season 4. And the show scored a 0.6 rating in the demo, including DVR playback. Plus, its move to Tuesday nights proved to be a smart play after the ratings came in for The Rookie Season 5 Episode 10, “The List.”

TVLine reported that The Rookie‘s return to Tuesday nights resulted in its most-watched episode in two and a half years. “The List” pulled in 4.7 million viewers, the show’s largest audience since The Rookie Season 2 Episode 19 aired on May 3, 2020. It also earned a 0.6 demo rating, The Rookie‘s best since season 3 episode 13.

Ultimately, all of these numbers point to ABC renewing The Rookie for season 6. It will be beyond shocking if the network cancels one of its highest-performing series.

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When is the probable release date for ‘The Rookie’ Season 6?

Although ABC hasn’t confirmed the episode total for season 5, based on past seasons, it’s likely 20-22. So The Rookie Season 5 will probably air its finale in the middle of May, which is typical for a broadcast television series.

As for when The Rookie Season 6 would premiere, fans should expect the release date to be in late September 2023. But we won’t know the exact date until ABC releases that information.

The Rookie Season 5 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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