Everything you need to know about The Rookie
The Rookie is a police crime procedural starring Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, a 45-year-old man who decides to take his life in a new direction after helping to foil a bank robbery.
Quitting his job and moving from Foxburg, Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, California, he joins the LAPD to become the oldest rookie in the service’s history. The LAPD is currently only one of two forces in the country that allow new recruits over the age of 37.
Challenging himself to overcome the doubts of his colleagues and superiors, as well as the physical challenges that come with his advancing years, he sets out to surpass all expectations through his life experience, determination, and sense of humour.
For him, this is no mid-life crisis – this is him wanting to make a difference, but the job is unpredictable and volatile, and this will not be as easy as he might think.
Who stars in The Rookie and where have we seen them before?
The current main cast of The Rookie currently stands as:
Nathan Fillion (Serenity, Castle, Firefly) as John Nolan
Alyssa Diaz (Ray Donovan, Narcos: Mexico, Zoo) as Angela Lopez
Richard T. Jones (Santa Clarita Diet, Phone Booth) as Sgt Wade Grey
Melissa O’Neil (A Simple Favor, Dark Matter, Rogue) as Lucy Chen
Eric Winter (Days Of Our Lives, Rosewood) as Timothy “Tim” Bradford
Mekia Cox (Chicago Med, Once Upon A Time, Secrets and Lies) as Nyla Harper
Shawn Ashmore (X-Men, Conviction, The Following) as Wesley Evers
Jenna Dewan (Step-Up, Superman and Lois) as Bailey Nune
Tru Valentino (Fast and Furious: Spy Racers, Madagascar: A Little Wild) as Aaron Thornsen
Lisseth Chavez (Legends of Tomorrow, Chicago PD, The Fosters) as Celina Juarez
Deric Augustine (All American, Godfather of Harlem) as Miles Penn
What is the age rating of The Rookie?
The official rating of The Rookie in the UK, as certified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), is 15 for the overall series.
This means that it’s not suitable for children, with some scenes for more mature audiences.
Reasons for this rating include:
Little to no nudity
Sex or sexual activity is implied but never explicitly shown
Moderate violence due to the nature of going to crime scenes and incidents
Moderate use of blood and gore
Use of guns, both by the police and incidents of gun violence
Graphic scenes of domestic violence that some viewers may find upsetting
Scenes of torture and/or perilous situations
Mild use of profanity
Discussions of drugs and drug dealing, including scenes of overdose
Themes of police brutality
Elements of racism and racist acts
How successful is The Rookie and what awards has it won?
The Rookie is a success with viewers, averaging 6.5million viewers an episode in the United States.
It has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy awards, both for Stunt Coordination.
In February 2024, Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich stated The Rookie had generated more than 500 million viewed hours for streaming service, Hulu, in the US, since its 2018 launch.
Almost half of that number came between 2023 and 2024, with the show gaining popularity on the service due to viral clips on TikTok.
“Fans are still discovering that show and will continue for years to come. That’s the staying power of a good drama,” he said.
How many episodes of The Rookie are there?
At the time of writing (April 2025), The Rookie has run for seven seasons, totalling 123 episodes.
Seasons one and two ran for 20 episodes and season three ran for 14, cut down due to restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Seasons four and five were boosted to 22 episodes, while season six only ran for 10, after running into issues as a result of the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild strikes of 2022 stopping writers and actors from working.
Season seven started airing in January 2025. By the time of the series finale on May 13th, 2025, it will have run for 18 episodes.
The show was officially renewed for season eight in April 2025.
Are there any spin-offs of The Rookie?
Launching in 2022 and running through to 2023, The Rookie: Feds starred Niecy Nash-Betts as she becomes the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy, but was cancelled after only one season.
In December 2024, it was announced that a second spin-off was in the works, but at the time of writing (April 2025), there is currently no official name or cast attached to the show.
However, it’s been confirmed that the series will be set in Washington, and follow a similar format of the two preceding series which will “follow a male cop who is stepping into a new phase of life in his second act.”
How to watch The Rookie in the UK
The Rookie is available in full to watch exclusively on Sky WITNESS now.
It’s also available to stream on Sky GO and NOW as well.