Published Aug 5, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT
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Despite the off-season, Nathan Fillion's hit crime series, The Rookie, continues to be a hit on streaming.
Streaming has gradually become the go-to way people enjoy their shows. While Netflix still leads the pack, other platforms, such as Paramount+, Peacock, Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video, and Apple TV are ramping up their portfolios to entice more viewers to subscribe. A lot of new shows end up going to these services, but some of the longest-running ones are still on traditional broadcast. Now that the 2025-2026 TV cycle is done, network shows are on break, which makes it the perfect time to catch up on them.
The list includes The Rookie on ABC, which is currently waiting for its ninth season. Alexi Hawley created the series that debuted in 2018. It follows Mid-Wilshire and its people, primarily John Nolan — a middle-aged man who joined the police force later than his peers. The Rookie season 8 ramped up its storytelling, delivering enjoyable storytelling both for its professional and personal narratives. Weeks after it wrapped the cycle on ABC, people continue to enjoy it on streaming.
Per Nielsen, The Rookie is one of the most-streamed shows of the year thus far. Using data from January to June, the police procedural has been watched for over 12.8 billion minutes on Hulu, ranking it number 12 on the list, sandwiched between Criminal Minds on Hulu and Paramount+ and Landman on Paramount+. The Rookie's hours watched are spread across 144 episodes that are available on the streaming platform.
Admittedly, network TV procedurals get a bad rap for having repetitive stories. Ever week, there's a case to be solved, and at the end of the hour, most of them are. However, much like every series on traditional broadcast, The Rookie's backbone is its characters, with its ensemble filled with unique characters. Their stories are intertwined with the procedural aspect of the storytelling and is what keeps people hooked. Because network shows tend to have more episodes than their streaming counterparts, they have more time to spend with their characters, developing them into fully-fleshed-out players.
Binging 144 episodes during the off-season gives people enough time to get caught up on The Rookie. The series isn't part of ABC's fall 2026 lineup, as the Disney-owned channel is saving the series yet again for a midseason release. It joins Will Trent season 5, High Potential season 3, and Shifting Gears season 3. Once season 9 premieres, and it settles into its regular scheduled programming, The Rookie's new weekly episode will start dropping on Hulu just hours after its original broadcast on traditional broadcast.
Considering The Rookie's success, both on network TV and streaming, it's safe to say that ABC will try to keep it on the air for as long as possible. Thankfully, Hawley did a good job of diversifying its storytelling, giving the series several options when it comes to stories to tackle. This way, the burden of carrying the whole project isn't just on one character.
The Rookie
6/10
Release Date October 16, 2018
Showrunner Alexi Hawley
Directors Tori Garrett, Chi-Yoon Chung, Michael Goi, Sylvain White, Lisa Demaine, Lanre Olabisi, Bill Johnson, David McWhirter, Liz Friedlander, Daniel Willis, Toa Fraser, Anne Renton, Jon Huertas, Cherie Nowlan, TK Shom, Rob Seidenglanz, Valerie Weiss, Barbara Brown, Charissa Sanjarernsuithikul, SJ Main Muñoz, Nelson McCormick, Marcus Stokes, Adam Davidson, Anna Mastro
English (US) ·