‘The Rookie’ Lands New FBI Spin-Off Starring Niecy Nash

ABC is exploring a spin-off from its popular police procedural, The Rookie, with Niecy Nash. A two-episode pilot has been ordered which will run during Season 4 of The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillon. Meanwhile, the yet-untitled project comes from the creator and executive producer of The Rookie, Alexi Hawley, along with Terence Paul Winter and Mark Gordon for studios eOne and ABC Signature.

The Rookie spin-off on ABC

The new, planned spin-off is co-created and written by Hawley and Winter. It will follow the premise of The Rookie, in which Fillion stars as John Nolan, the oldest rookie in the LAPD.

Meanwhile, Niecy Nash will guest star as Simone Clark, who Deadline describes as “a force of nature, the living embodiment of a dream deferred.” However, in her case, she will be the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy. According to her character’s description, Simone has never shied away from a challenge of a fight. Meanwhile, she is also described as a single mother of two, who put her career dreams on hold to ensure her kids pursued their own.

The two embedded pilot episodes feature Officer John Nolan (Fillion). It also features the LA division of the FBI as they enlist the help of FBI trainee Simone Clark (Nash). This comes as one of her former students becomes a terror suspect after an explosion at a local power station.

Crossover series for The Rookie

The Rookie and the new spin-off will exist in the same space, allowing the characters to move back and forth. The planned route ABC is taking with the spin-off involves new characters, being incorporated into the main series before heading to their own show. Reportedly, Nash is one of four actors set to guest star in the two-episode pilot, with the option to become series regulars, should the spin-off get picked up.

Niecy Nash is excited about her new role in The Rookie spinoff. She said in a statement that she can’t wait to bring Simone Clark to life. Nash described her character as a “spirited and spicy fish out of water,” adding, “The cast is amazing and I can’t wait to play!”

The Rookie as a two-show franchise

Should the new spin-off be picked up, The Rookie will be expanded into a two-show franchise. The Rookie is still one of ABC’s most-watched drama series after four seasons. In fact, it stands just behind Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19, and The Good Doctor in attracting viewership. In the latest season, The Rookie has reportedly hit 9.3 million viewers after 35 days of multi-platform viewing.

As for Niecy Nash, she most recently starred in Claws, which recently completed a four-season run on TNT. The actress has earned three Emmy nominations to date. In fact, she got two for Getting On and one for the limited series When They See Us. Meanwhile, the latter also attracted an NAACP Image Award for Nash.

Readers, are you excited about the pilot of a new spin-off of The Rookie? Let us know your feelings.