ABC's New Florida Detective Series Is a Perfect Rival To ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ in First Look [Exclusive]

3 days ago 5

Published Feb 24, 2026, 9:00 AM EST

Ryan O'Rourke is a Senior News Writer at Collider with a specific interest in all things adult animation, video game adaptations, and the work of Mike Flanagan. He is also an experienced baseball writer with over six years of articles between multiple outlets, most notably FanSided's CubbiesCrib. Whether it's taking in a baseball game, a new season of Futurama or Castlevania: Nocturne, or playing the latest From Software title, he is always finding ways to show his fandom. When it comes to gaming and anything that takes inspiration from it, he is deeply opinionated on what's going on. Outside of entertainment, he's a graduate of Eureka College with a Bachelor's in Communication where he honed his craft as a writer. Between The IV Leader at Illinois Valley Community College and The Pegasus at Eureka, he spent the majority of his college career publishing articles on everything from politics to campus happenings and, of course, entertainment for the student body. Those principles he learned covering the 2020 election, Palestine, and so much more are brought here to Collider, where he has gleefully written on everything from the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes to Nathan Lane baby-birding sewer boys.

ABC has quite the powerhouse pair of sleuths on Tuesday night, between the hyper-intelligent Morgan Gillory (Kaitlyn Olson) in High Potential and the tireless Will Trent (Ramón Rodríguez) in, well, Will Trent. This spring, however, the network is introducing a new investigator to the lineup who's a little rougher around the edges and will be tasked with tackling the crime-ridden world of South Florida. He's also played by a familiar face from the staff of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. As part of Collider's Exclusive Spring Preview series, we're excited to spotlight the upcoming new series, RJ Decker, with two new images of the main man himself, played by Grey's Anatomy regular Scott Speedman.

The titular RJ Decker initially started on the wrong side of the law. As a disgraced former newspaper photographer, ex-con, and all-around public mess, he's decided to embrace the life of a private investigator to start fresh, though he's not quite prepared for what he's about to face. Decker is thrust into a world filled with unpredictable cases that range from a little odd to completely bonkers, embodying the colorful spirit of the locale. Fortunately, he won't be working alone, as he's partnered up with his journalist ex and her police detective wife, as well as a mysterious benefactor with ties to his past and motives that are unclear. She may have the leverage to be Decker's greatest asset, but it's just as likely she'll land the trailer park-dweller behind bars once again.

Our images show Speedman at work, doing some digging on his laptop alongside another ABC alum from the Grey's Anatomy extended family — Station 19's Jaina Lee Ortiz. Ortiz stars as the aforementioned benefactor, Emi Ochoa, who is the daughter of a wildly corrupt senator with a lot of sway within the state of Florida. Although she'll be an unpredictable presence in the series, she and Decker appear to be more than fine working side by side. The other shot, meanwhile, shows Decker all dressed up in his suit and appearing far more nervous. He's sitting in what seems to be a courtroom, which could mean he'll be at real risk of being sent back to jail from the get-go. Needless to say, this new life is not going to be easy for Decker.

'RJ Decker' Adapts a Hit Crime Novel for Broadcast Television

RJ Decker is based on the 1987 novel Double Whammy, which follows Decker into the surprisingly shady world of competitive bass fishing to expose a cheat and solve a murder. Mixing mystery, comedy, and action thrills alike, it's the second novel from acclaimed author Carl Hiaasen, honing his eccentric, typically Florida-based style. The show will now look to expand on that original story and capture a similar energy to Will Trent and High Potential under Elementary creator Rob Doherty. Also joining Speedman, who was also recently seen on television with Peacock's 2024 horror series Teacup, are Adelaide Clemens, Bevin Bru, and Kevin Rankin, in addition to Ortiz.

RJ Decker premieres on Tuesday, March 3, at 10 PM ET. Stay tuned here at Collider throughout the week for more sneak peeks at the hottest upcoming shows as part of our spring preview event.