The Rookie: Feds - What We Know So Far

Right around 2009, Nathan Fillion got bit hard by a very specific type of acting bug: the bug that makes actors want to play cops. It all started with ABC's "Castle," in which he played a novelist who began moonlighting with an NYPD Detective to get inspiration for his book series. It was a wildly successful show that came to an end in 2016, but Fillion was left wanting more. He got a quick fix with a guest appearance on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" in 2017, but it just wasn't enough (via IMDb). Eventually, he ended up on ABC's "The Rookie" which debuted in the fall of 2018. The show features Fillion as the titular character John Nolan who, after getting a taste for law enforcement when the cops need his help to solve a crime, quits his job and becomes the oldest member of the LAPD — and it's all based on a true story.

Now, we told you that story to tell you this one: In Season 4 of "The Rookie," Niecy Nash-Betts guest-starred as a guidance counselor who also had dreams of joining law enforcement, but believed she was too old to change careers. To the delight of fans, ABC recently announced those episodes were a sort of backdoor pilot for the upcoming spin-off "The Rookie: Feds." And the first season debuted on September 27, 2022. Here's everything we know about "The Rookie: Feds" so far.

The people at ABC decided to go with a flip-the-script strategy to give this spin-off its own unique flavor, but with the same feel that fans of "The Rookie" know and love. Instead of a white man, the show's protagonist is a Black woman. Instead of the local LAPD, she'll be joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation as its oldest rookie in history and tackling a much wider and more complicated web of criminal activity. Plus, she's going to look fierce doing it.

But at its heart, it's a redemption story, just like its parent series. Niecy Nash-Betts plays Special Agent Simone Clark, a 48-year-old former guidance counselor who always wanted a more exciting career, but thought she was too far along in life to make a change (via Deadline). This show will no doubt explore that fertile ground the same way "The Rookie" has explored it over the last four years.

Obviously, the show is going to star Niecy Nash-Betts in all of her glory. If you liked her in "Reno 911," loved her in "Claws," and eagerly consumed any of the entertaining roles she's played in between, you'll probably become a fan of this show, too. Joining her are co-stars Frankie Faison, Britt Robertson, James Lesure, Kevin Zegers, and Felix Solis (via Deadline).

In early August, ABC gave an exclusive first look to TV Insider in order to get the word out about the show. In addition to announcing the main cast and the basic premise, the outlet also added that yes, there will be "a ton of crossovers from the mothership." Now, diehard Nathan Fillion fans may be wondering if that's a nebulous reference to his time playing space cowboy Malcolm Reynolds on the cult hit "Firefly" (and a possible hint at alumni from the show occasionally joining him and Nash-Betts on the spinoff). While it may be a stretch to assume that that's what they meant by "mothership," it's also worth mentioning that ABC is not shy about having "Firefly" guest stars swing by on a Fillion production.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That was most likely the mantra running through ABC executives' brains when they decided to bring on the executive producer of "The Rookie," Alexi Hawley, to work for "The Rookie: Feds." But that isn't the only person from the main show who will be contributing to the spinoff. According to Deadline, "The Rookie" writer Terence Paul Winter will return to help Hawley.

ABC is branching out a little bit as far as directors go, though. Yes, "The Rookie" director Tori Garrett is going to be directing at least one episode of the new series. But according to IMDb, they're also enlisting the help of Eric Dean Seaton for some of the season's episodes, too. The seasoned director is well known for his work on shows like "Modern Family" and "Black-ish," among many others, so that's one more reason to give this upcoming series a watch. 

There are some succinct teasers about 30-40 seconds long for "The Rookie: Feds." One published on the ABC YouTube channel on August 18 is short but to the point. It features Simone Clarke (Niecy Nash-Betts) being picked up by John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) at the airport. After some playful banter between the two, it cuts back to Nash-Bett's character once again emphasizing that she's 48 years old and this is her last chance to make her dream come true. Then there are some exciting shots of her fighting bad guys and driving fast cars before it cuts to the title screen.

But the show's official Twitter account was no slouch when it came to doling out the bread crumbs, either. It has even more sneak previews than the YouTube channel, including one that was tweeted out on August 30. It once again features Nash-Betts dressed to the nines while reiterating the point that her character is a 48-year-old ex-guidance counselor who is starting her second act in life working her dream job as an FBI agent.