Posted in: ABC, TV | Tagged:


The Rookie Cast Breaks Out a Dance Party Over Season 8 Preview News

The Rookie's Melissa O'Neil, Nathan Fillion, Eric Winter, Lisseth Chavez, Mekia Cox, and Alyssa Diaz are excited about Season 8 preview news.



Article Summary

  • The Rookie cast celebrates upcoming Season 8 preview news with a viral TikTok dance party.
  • Season 8 promises new dynamics, exciting storylines, and a global trip to Prague in the opener.
  • Nathan Fillion and Alexi Hawley discuss the show's multigenerational appeal at SDCC 2025.
  • Enjoy some highlights, teasers, and behind-the-scenes insight from The Rookie's creators and stars.

It looks like fans of ABC and Alexi Hawley's The Rookie will be getting a Season 8 preview coming soon – and the news dropped in a very smooth way. Earlier today, Melissa O'Neil took to TikTok to share a video of herself, Nathan Fillion, Eric Winter, Lisseth Chavez, Mekia Cox, and Alyssa Diaz showing off their moves in celebration. What were they celebrating? They know when our next look at the eighth season is going to be – and they're pretty damn happy about it.

The Rookie
Image: TikTok Screencap; ABC Entertainment

Here's a look at O'Neil's post from earlier today, with ABC's The Rookie set to return on January 6th:

@missoneil ☺️ they told us what day the Season 8 preview is coming out! 🫶🏼 @The Rookie Universe @Nate F @Mekia Cox @Alyssa @Eric Winter @Lisseth Chavez ♬ We Are One – Maze & Frankie Beverly

In addition, we've included a look at the Season 8 cast portraits and previously released Season 8 teaser::

The Rookie/SDCC: Fillion & Hawley Preview Season 8 & More

"I have friends who are good actors in their own right. They're calling me saying, 'Hey, man, my daughter just turned 11, and she and her friends are all crazy about 'The Rookie.' Can I please have a birthday with you?' I love that," Fillion shared about the show's success with multigenerational viewing audiences during his San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2025 panel earlier this summer

"I think that ultimately television, specifically television with lots of episodes with characters that you can really invest in, has become comfort food for people," added Hawley. "There's 1,000 shows on the air, but it does feel like people sort of grab lots of shows that they look forward to watching. They're an escape. I take that very seriously. It doesn't mean that bad things don't happen on our show, that there aren't stakes, that we don't go dark sometimes. People really look to us as an important storm."

After a sizzle reel was screened, spotlighting the trip to Prague in the Season 8 opener, as well as a number of new and returning cast members. "In the first episode, we go to Prague and [John] becomes James Bond in the episode. We have a lot of exciting stories for [the cast] this season," Fillion teased. Here's a look at the official image gallery that was released from this weekend's SDCC panel:

Here's a look at some highlights from the panel, including that moment Fillion got everyone in attendance for a huge group video for O'Neil and much more:

And here's a look at some highlights from Fillion and Hawley's time in the Variety Studio, including what the chances are of there being a new rookie during the eighth season and more:

ABC's The Rookie Season 7 starred Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Richard T. Jones as Sergeant Wade Grey, Melissa O'Neil as Lucy Chen, Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers, Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune, and Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez. Deric Augustine (Godfather of Harlem) and television-debuting Patrick Keleher were set as the newest rookies for the season. Augustine's Miles is one of the newest rookies at the LAPD. As a Texas transfer, Miles is a 'rookie' despite being a two-year veteran of the force. Keleher's rookie Seth seems like the ideal police officer, but the job requires quick, decisive action — something that doesn't come naturally to Seth. In addition, Ivan Hernandez (Max's And Just Like That…) had joined the cast as Detective Graham and appeared in several episodes.

Alexi Hawley is the series creator, writer, and executive producer. Mark Gordon, Nathan Fillion, Michelle Chapman, Jon Steinberg, Bill Norcross, Bill Roe, and Brynn Malone are executive producers of the series. Entertainment One (eOne) is the lead studio on The Rookie, a co-production with ABC Signature.


Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!

Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
twitterinstagram
Comments will load 20 seconds after page. Click here to load them now.