ABC evidently wanted to build a franchise around The Rookie, starting with its first (and only) spinoff The Rookie: Feds, but the second show failed to meet expectations and was canceled shortly after its debut. The police procedural series, created by Alexi Hawley (the creator and showrunner of The Rookie) and Terence Paul Winter, took the original show’s premise and applied it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Instead of Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, a middle-aged rookie in the Los Angeles Police Department, The Rookie: Feds starred Niecy Nash-Betts as Simone Clark, a middle-aged rookie in the FBI.

The Rookie: Feds premiered in September 2022, but its two-part backdoor pilot was featured in The Rookie season 5 a few months earlier. Fans of the original series were introduced to Simone when Nolan and other Rookie characters worked with the FBI on a terrorism case. They learned that one suspect had a connection to FBI trainee Simone Clark and brought her in for assistance. During the episode, Simone and Nolan bond over their shared experience of being the oldest rookie in the room, and the rest is history. Sadly, though, The Rookie: Feds wouldn’t make it past season 1.

The Rookie’s Creator Attributes Feds’ Cancelation To Industry Changes

Alexi Hawley Co-Created The Rookie: Feds

The Rookie spinoff’s season 1 finale aired in May 2023, but ABC didn’t decide the fate of The Rookie: Feds season 2 until November. After months of speculation regarding the probability of its return, the network canceled the crime drama after only one season. At the time, the exact reason behind the show’s cancelation was unclear, although many could surmise what influenced ABC’s decision. Some believed the 2023 Hollywood strikes were to blame. However, co-creator Alexi Hawley addressed The Rookie: Feds‘ ending during the Television Critics Tour and claimed, “It’s a bigger conversation than [the strikes].” According to Deadline, Hawley explained:

“A lot had to do with the forces that led to strike … the consolidation of the industry, the economic impact of the streaming wars have had on different companies. I do feel it was not a creative decision. It was a business decision. I can’t argue with that. I’m not running anything. It was a treat for us. We love that show … it’s all I can really say … I think the honest answer is I’m not sure, nor do I think the industry knows what is happening right now. The strike is still fairly close in our rearview mirror. Consolidation is happening across the industry. ABC has been nothing but supportive about The Rookie. Again, The Rookie: Feds was an unfortunate casualty, more of a casualty of the whole process.”

Hawley believes that the state of Hollywood played a bigger part in the demise of The Rookie: Feds rather than solely blaming the strikes. Network TV isn’t making as much of a profit as it used to because of the rise of streaming and its recent dominance in Hollywood. Consequently, networks have to be more picky about which shows to renew and cancel. Unfortunately, for The Rookie: Feds, its season 1 results weren’t enough for ABC, leading to its cancelation. Meanwhile, The Rookie is headed into season 7 as it continues to be reliable and consistent amongst the changes in Hollywood.

Hollywood Strikes Were A Factor In Feds’ Cancelation (But Not The Main Reason)

The 2023 Writers & Actors Strike Didn’t Help The Rookie: Feds’ Renewal Chances

Despite Alexi Hawley’s assertion that the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes weren’t the main cause behind The Rookie: Feds season 2 cancelation, they still undeniably played a part. The writers strike lasted for almost five months, one of the longest labor stoppages in the WGA’s history, while the actors strike lasted for nearly four months, the longest labor stoppage in SAG-AFTRA’s history. The strikes irreparably damaged the industry as writers and actors justly fought for their rights, and The Rookie: Feds was sadly one of the casualties.

The Rookie: Feds Did Not Perform As Strongly As The Main Show

The Spinoff’s Ratings Never Lived Up To The Rookie’s Viewership Totals

Of course, the most significant reason behind ABC’s cancelation of The Rookie: Feds was its poor ratings. The spinoff series failed to live up to the viewership standards set by the parent TV show as, per TVLine, The Rookie: Feds averaged 4.3 million total viewers and a 0.5 demo rating (with Live+7 playback). Meanwhile, The Rookie season 6 averaged almost 6 million total viewers during its sixth season, making it one of the most-watched scripted series on ABC, trailing only 9-1-1 season 7 and Will Trent season 2.

Despite ABC’s attempts to boost the spinoff’s ratings by linking it to the original show via appearances by The Rookie characters in The Rookie: Feds, Niecy Nash-Betts’ series didn’t perform as well as needed to succeed. Consequently, the network concluded that the spinoff wouldn’t be able to improve with time, and it ended the crime drama after only 22 episodes. Nevertheless, the season 1 finale wouldn’t be the last time fans saw The Rookie: Feds characters as a handful appeared in The Rookie season 6 finale, and they could easily return in future episodes.

Sources: Deadline, TVLine