Posted in: ABC, FX, Hulu, TV | Tagged: ABC, hulu, season 7, The Rookie

The Rookie: Disney Exec Cites Series as Example of ABC/Hulu Success

Dana Walden, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment, cited Alexi Hawley's The Rookie as an example of the success of the ABC/Hulu strategy.

It's a weird thing when it comes to covering Alexi Hawley's Nathan Fillion, Eric Winter, and Melissa O'Neil-starring The Rookie. On one hand, we're thrilled that filming for Season 7 is underway because it gives us a chance to cover it during the summer months. On the other hand, we have to wait until ABC's 2025 midseason for the show to return – even though the bosses over at ABC promise to use that extra pre-season time to really promote the show. Speaking with Deadline Hollywood, Dana Walden, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment (overseeing FX, Hulu, and ABC), did her part to sing the show's praises – noting how the long-running series is a perfect example of a show that succeeds and continues to grow based on the release strategy between ABC and Hulu of airing it on linear and then quickly making it available on streaming, and making previous season readily available.

"You look at the growth of 'The Rookie' over the past several years where the ability to watch past seasons on Hulu has done nothing but boost our linear ratings on that show and create an ecosystem of viewership where viewers on the broadcast network are getting a first look," Walden explained. "And then our subscribers are getting the flexibility of watching it on a streaming platform and all of the benefits that that entails." Don't forget that the hit series is set for a San Diego Comic-Con 2024 (SDCC 2024) panel presentation in the Indigo Ballroom on Saturday, July 27th (1:45 pm – 2:45 pm PT) – with Fillion, Winter, O'Neil, Mekia Cox, Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Shawn Ashmore, and Lisseth Chavez listed as attending to "discuss the evolution of the action-packed drama ahead of its seventh season."

"At the top of January, we have 'New Year's Rockin' Eve,' which is one of the big live events of the broadcast season and provides tremendous promotional opportunity, so we're going to use that for 'The Rookie' and 'Will Trent,' both shows which continue to grow and are true darlings of both ABC and the audience. We have a lot of college sports and holiday programs on during December, so that adds to the megaphone that we can use to to shout out about 'Will Trent' and 'The Rookie' being back on. And additionally, and as importantly, having them come on in January will allow them to have uninterrupted runs where they can continue to gather momentum with a huge swatch of original episodes," shared Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, back in May – explaining how the move to midseason could benefit the series and how the network would go the synergy route to promote the show's Season 7 return.

ABC's The Rookie stars 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, Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen, and Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez. Deric Augustine (Godfather of Harlem) and television-debuting Patrick Keleher are set as the newest rookies for the upcoming 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. 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.

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