Did we NEED one other spinoff of The Rookie?
No, the reply, my pricey Rookie Fanatics, is a convincing no!
Information sources have been speaking right this moment a few second spinoff within the works for ABC’s standard cop drama. Underneath every other circumstances, it’d enchantment to followers.
Nonetheless, for these of us nonetheless reeling from the blended bag that was The Rookie: Feds, we’re skeptical about ABC’s try to broaden a preferred franchise.
For starters, franchise fatigue is most definitely actual.
Tv has constructed a brand new period round franchises, spinoffs, revivals, reboots, and variations.
It’s to not say that a lot of them aren’t good and even profitable. NCIS: Origins has been one of the crucial pleasant expansions of the NCIS franchise in fairly a while.
Dick Wolf just about cornered the market on franchises with three totally different ones throughout two totally different networks with Regulation & Order, One Chicago, and FBI, and, hell, he’ll most likely do the identical with the upcoming On Name on Prime.
Cop procedurals, specifically, are at all times wildly and massively profitable and are usually a protected guess.
ABC has already realized that franchises or showrunner supremacy serve them nicely.
The Gray’s Anatomy universe has been the community’s bread and butter, and we’re nonetheless lamenting the lack of the Shondaland sequence primetime domination from a few years in the past.
However now, they’ve targeted on making Ryan Murphy productions a community staple, particularly after adapting 9-1-1.
The 9-1-1 franchise will broaden as nicely with new sequence (Sorry, 9-1-1: Lone Star, you needed to die in order that no matter new locale might thrive in its new house).
And now, ABC is making an attempt their hand at yet one more The Rookie spinoff, regardless of how simply they threw within the towel with Niecy Nash Betts’ The Rookie: Feds.
A few of us are nonetheless a bit bitter about issues like Fits: LA making its debut quickly to capitalize on the renewed success of Fits and broaden that franchise all these years later.
And that’s to the chagrin of all 4 of us Pearson Fanatics, who by no means obtained to see the primary spinoff get the success it deserved.
In all places you look, and on each community, they’ve opted to provide repeats or extensions of what they really feel works as a substitute of taking bolder dangers and creating unique, recent content material.
It sucks, at the same time as somebody who enjoys a derivative or two or total franchises; it’s disappointing that everybody is making an attempt to reinvent the wheel as a substitute of taking an enormous swing at manufacturing one thing new solely.
And The Rookie, my pricey TV Fanatics, epitomizes “extra of the identical.” They’re not even trying to do something totally different with this newest spinoff.
As an alternative, after the unsuccessful spinoff that noticed a middle-aged, queer lady of coloration getting a recent begin as an FBI agent, irrespective of how implausible it was, the brand new spinoff intends to stay to the unique formatting.
What’s the new spinoff’s premise, you ask?
The spinoff follows a male cop getting into a brand new part of life in his second act.
So, the sequence will as soon as once more be a few middle-aged man who’s having a midlife disaster and can change into a cop.
Are you blinking as a lot as I’m proper now? Isn’t that the very same format as the unique Nathan Fillion-led present?
Oh, wait, you guys. What distinguishes this from the unique sequence is that it’s going to happen someplace within the state of Washington!
And by Washington, I’ll guess your backside greenback it’s someplace in Seattle as a result of, let’s be actual, everybody acts like Seattle is the one metropolis in Washington!
Hey, possibly, if we’re fortunate, they’ll one way or the other finagle a crossover with Gray’s Anatomy or one thing. Uncertain, however a woman can dream.
So, not solely has The Rookie opted to repeat the unique sequence verbatim, however they’re additionally basically borrowing from the 9-1-1 franchise.
We’ll simply replicate the identical present time and again and place it in a brand new location!
It looks like they’re resubmitting an outdated project with a brand new date and title and protecting their fingers crossed for one of the best.
The factor is, that works for 9-1-1 as a primary responder present that offers extra completely with firefighters and paramedics responding to a wide selection of calls that may be culturally particular to no matter locale they’re in (earthquakes and wildfires in Los Angeles or cowboy-themed foolery in Texas).
It doesn’t have the identical really feel whenever you’re completely coping with regulation enforcement.
Whereas responses have been blended relating to the award-winning Betts main The Rookie: Feds spinoff, it was genuinely refreshing to discover a girl getting into a brand new stage of her life through a profession change.
There was nothing mistaken with that idea by itself, and it’s a storyline price exploring as a result of we’ve exhausted storylines about males and their midlife crises for 50 years!
Wouldn’t it have killed anybody to have no less than this newest spinoff be female-led only for some razzle-dazzle?
And that’s the place the information of this spinoff elicits extra boredom and frustration than pleasure.
The Rookie has been on the air for seven years and remains to be one of many community’s high sequence. It’s massively profitable and presumably nonetheless has numerous life left in it.
It’s worrisome that Hawley and ABC might stretch themselves skinny by devoting their consideration to a more moderen, flashier model of the very same sequence fairly than specializing in the one they have already got.
And in the event that they have been going to do this, wouldn’t or not it’s price it if they really, you realize, switched issues up a bit or took a extra unique strategy to this new sequence?
We are able to no less than really feel it’s price it or perceive the aim.
Given the franchise’s ongoing theme, the irony of doubtless changing The Rookie with a extra present, youthful model of the very same sequence isn’t misplaced.
I get not knocking what already works, however that is ridiculous and a bit underwhelming.
However possibly we’re being untimely. As new info trickles in about this spinoff, with fascinating casting and a extra detailed synopsis, we might change our minds about this.
For now, The Rookie, basically copying and pasting itself to broaden its universe, is a major instance of every little thing mistaken, archaic, annoying, and underwhelming concerning the franchise period and why viewers are over it.
Over to you, The Rookie Fanatics.
What do you consider yet one more spinoff?
Do you want that they’re repeating the identical idea in a brand new location? Hold forth beneath.
Watch The Rookie On-line
