RJ Decker Sets Premiere Date on ABC, The Rookie Moves to New Night
RJ Decker, the Scott Speedman-led drama, will make its debut on ABC later this year, shifting the network’s current schedule.
The freshman series will premiere on Tuesday, March 3, at 10/8c, joining the night’s lineup of Will Trent and High Potential.
Scott Speedman stars as the titular character, who is described as “a disgraced newspaper photographer and ex-con who starts over as a private investigator in the colorful-if-crime-filled world of South Florida.”
RJ Decker follows “him tackling cases that range from slightly odd to outright bizarre with the help of his journalist ex, her police detective wife and a shadowy new benefactor — a woman from his past who could be his greatest ally … or his one-way ticket back to prison,” per its description.
The series is also inspired by the novel Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen, who serves as an executive producer.
The show’s trailer confirms Deadline‘s exclusive report from last year that Station 19‘s Jaina Lee Ortiz will star as Emilia “Emi” Ochoa. The character is described as “the shrewd-if-unpredictable daughter of a very powerful, very corrupt state senator with ties to RJ’s past.”
RJ Decker also stars Bevin Bru as Detective Melody “Mel” Abreau, Kevin Rankin as Aloysius “Wish” Aiken, and Adelaide Clemens as Catherine Delacroix.
The series is written and executive-produced by Rob Doherty. Carl Beverly and Sarah Timberman also serve as executive producers. Paul McGuigan directs and executive produces. Scott Speedman serves as a producer. 20th Television produces.
RJ Decker taking that Tuesday night slot means that The Rookie will be moving to Mondays at 10/9c, following new episodes of American Idol.
Notably, ABC states that The Rookie Season 8 Episode 1, “Czech Mate,” set a record with its biggest premiere for the series on streaming, based on seven days of views on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
That new timeslot goes into effect for The Rookie‘s eighth season on Monday, January 26. From then on, the procedural drama will have a straight run with no interruptions for its remaining 15 episodes.
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RJ Decker premieres on Tuesday, March 3, at 10/8c, on ABC.
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Shelby Elpers
Shelby is a TV enthusiast and pop culture writer. She's an avid podcast listener, green tea drinker, and soccer fan. Her brand can be summarized in rom-coms, superheroes, teen dramas, and workplace comedies.