As a big fan of The Rookie, I’ve just heard some news that’s a bit of a mixed bag. It looks like season 8 is going to have a later start than usual. While most shows are already back on air for the 2024-2025 season, ABC is holding back a few, including The Rookie and Will Trent. We’re going to have to wait until January 2026 to see the new seasons, which is what happened last year too. I know some fans will be happy to have these shows return, but the delay is definitely going to frustrate others!
Given how well ABC’s crime dramas have performed with this schedule, the network is wisely sticking to what’s proven successful. Both The Rookie’s seventh season and Will Trent‘s third season were highly-rated shows last year, which is a positive indicator for ABC’s growing primetime lineup.
ABC has made a surprising decision about season 8 of The Rookie that’s likely to upset many fans. Fortunately, the network is offering a good reason behind the change.
ABC Moves The Rookie’s Tuesday Timeslot To 10 PM ET
ABC (via MoviesStillsDb)
ABC is changing the schedule for The Rookie. Instead of airing at 9 pm Eastern Time, season 8 will now be the last show in primetime on Tuesdays, starting at 10 pm ET. Leading into The Rookie will be the second season of Kaitlin Olson’s High Potential at 9 pm ET and the fourth season of Will Trent at 8 pm ET. Previously, the first six and sixteenth episodes of The Rookie season 7 aired at 10 pm ET, before being moved to 9 pm.
Typically, 9 pm is the ideal time for popular TV shows. It’s commonly used for well-known crime and investigation dramas like NBC’s Law & Order: SVU and CBS’ FBI. Some viewers might find an earlier time slot easier to watch the show live, so delaying The Rookie’s eighth season by an hour could lower its traditional TV viewership.
The Rookie Season 8‘s 10 PM ET Slot May Not Be Too Bad
ABC (via MovieStillsDB)
Interestingly, this shift in scheduling is notable because shows like the one being moved generally perform better when aired later in the evening. In fact, the latest season of The Rookie—released all at once at 9 pm ET—has seen the lowest ratings of the series so far, averaging only 5.92 million weekly viewers (according to Programming Insider). For comparison, the first five seasons typically aired at 10 pm ET, though some episodes of season 5 were moved to 8 pm ET when the show switched from Sundays to Tuesdays.
If recent trends continue into season 8, The Rookie could have its best year yet. The show, starring Nathan Fillion, is already very popular on streaming platforms after its initial broadcast, proving that viewers are highly engaged and enjoy watching it whenever and however they can.
The continued success of Alexi Hawley’s show, The Rookie, is clear. Season 8 is doing something new for network television by starting with a significant story set in another country. While the show’s new timeslot might not appeal to all viewers, it could ultimately benefit the series in the long run.
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2025-10-30 14:58