With the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes over, ABC is looking ahead to 2024, and sadly, it’s bad news for fans of The Rookie Feds and The Good Lawyer.
The network confirmed late Thursday that The Rookie: Feds had been canceled after a single season, while The Good Doctor spinoff would not be getting a formal series order.
The news for both projects is a bit of a surprise, but given the network’s now-stacked midseason slate, these kinds of decisions are expected in the coming weeks.
The Rookie: Feds launched last fall on ABC to a tepid response and middling ratings.
Niecy Nash headlined the spinoff, which was paired with The Rookie at midseason, leading to some of both shows best numbers.
The series also benefited from a robust digital footprint, signaling that while there was interest in the show, many of the viewers weren’t interested in watching live.
But the two-punch of both Rookie series on Tuesdays became moderate hits for ABC, meaning that in a typical season without strikes, there’s a good chance they would have remained paired up in the 2023-24 season.
Related: The Rookie Season 6: Everything We Know
ABC delaying a decision on the series’ future was clearly a wait-and-see approach to the dual Hollywood strikes.
The last thing it wanted to do was pick up the series’ second season and be stuck with too many shows if production got underway for a midseason launch.
The good news? There’s a good chance we’ll get a resolution for some of the characters on The Rookie Season 6.
Whether that involves any of the cast guest-starring, we don’t know, but we’re sure there will be a plan in place to connect these universes.
The Rookie Feds also starred Frankie Faison, James Lesure, Britt Robertson, Felix Solis, and Kevin Zegers.
Meanwhile, The Good Lawyer started its life as a backdoor pilot during The Good Doctor Season 6.
The first episode aired in March, with a formal pickup deemed likely because the response and viewership were strong.
The series is likely another casualty of the strikes, with ABC having very little space on its midseason schedule.
Related: The Good Doctor Season 7: Everything We Know
The backdoor pilot finds Dr. Shaun Murphy seeking legal representation to help with his case.
He puts his faith in Joni DeGroot (Kennedy McMann), a young woman with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Joni is described as “the brilliant, funny, and self-aware lawyer who is relatively new to her prestigious law firm when she takes Shaun’s case.”
“Living with OCD, Joni has never wanted to be treated differently.
“While her symptoms take a toll on her personal and professional life, her attention to detail allows her to see cases through a different lens.”
Felicity Huffman played Janet Stewart, who is described as “a highly regarded attorney and partner at the law firm with a fierce intellect and dry wit,” according to the character breakdown.
News of the project’s demise is a big surprise, but there’s a chance McMann and Huffman could continue to make appearances on The Good Doctor.
The medical drama is set to go into its shortest season to date as it has been revealed that many shows are looking at 10-13 episode seasons.
This is due to the late production starts after the dual strikes, but there are rumblings that we will get early renewals with two short seasons filming back-to-back.
Assuming The Good Doctor isn’t earmarked for cancellation, we should know about an additional season in the near future.
What are your thoughts on these cancellations?
Are you surprised? Do you think it’s a good idea to end both projects?
Hit the comments below.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
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