The Rookie season 8 may be delayed, but when it finally debuts, it's bound to make Network TV history. ABC's 2025-2026 programming schedule is now on its mandatory holiday hiatus, but when the majority of its scripted shows return in a few weeks, they will be joined by the network's most-watched procedurals. Like Will Trent season 3, The Rookie season 8 has been pushed to a winter premiere.
Admittedly, it is frustrating that the wait for new episodes has been extended, especially given how The Rookie season 7 finale went down. Besides having a few cliffhangers that need to be resolved, the series is also confirmed to have been in production since the start of the summer. It even began filming earlier than its peers that were scheduled to debut in the past fall. Based on what's known about The Rookie season 8, however, it seems like ABC is committed to make sure that it's worth the wait.
The Rookie Season 8 Opens With An International Premiere
As already confirmed, The Rookie season 8 will open with a special two-part premiere. That in itself isn't new, as premieres and finales tend to be super-sizied. Ryan Murphy's 9-1-1 season 9 even opened with a four-part event. However, what makes The Rookie's upcoming return very special is that it will be set in Prague, Czech Republic. Some of the cast and crew of the series actually went to the European country to shoot on location.
It does raise questions about why the LAPD Mid-Wilshire personnel are operating outside of California, but regardless of how they explain it, The Rookie is breaking new network TV ground with it. Traditional broadcast shows don't really go outside the country for filming; those are usually reserved for cable or streaming projects. This makes sense, considering that procedurals are usually contained in a city or town.
However, The Rookie is breaking the notion that network shows don't have the option to diversify its backdrop. Granted that the jury is still out on how it will explain Nolan and the rest of the team's activities in Prague, but the fact that they came up with a story and ABC approved a bigger budget sets the bar high for other cop shows.
What The Rookie's Ambitious Season 8 Premiere Means For The ABC Cop Show
The Rookie's Prague story is tied to Monica Stevens — one of the longest-running bad guys in the ABC procedural. Whether this will actually be the end of her story on the cop show is uncertain, but the fact that the network backed this ambitious way to debut season 8 is an indication of confidence in what Alexi Hawley is doing with the show. This also increases the chances of The Rookie getting renewed beyond the upcoming year.
It also bodes well for the budding franchise's new spinoff, Jay Ellis' The Rookie: North, which will start filming in late winter or early spring. The offshoot is expected to debut in the fall of 2026 and will restart Hawley's attempt at establishing The Rookie universe.
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