Alexi Hawley Shares Exciting Updates on ABC’s Spinoff Pilot of The Rookie: North and Insights on Jay Ellis’ Character
Vancouver to Host New Spinoff of ABC’s ‘The Rookie’
On the premiere day of Season 8 of ABC’s hit series The Rookie, creator and executive producer Alexi Hawley is making a significant move. He is traveling from Los Angeles, where the series is filmed, to Vancouver, the designated location for filming the new spinoff, The Rookie: North.
According to the official logline, The Rookie: North follows Alex Holland, played by Jay Ellis, a man who once believed his mid-life was too mundane for a crisis. Following a violent home invasion that reignites a sense of purpose, Alex joins the Pierce County Police Department as its oldest rookie. The narrative unfolds as he navigates challenges from the urban coast to rural forests, proving himself to a skeptical training officer, fellow rookies, and, ultimately, to himself.
In a prior interview, Hawley expressed his vision for the original series, stating, “I don’t actually see us as a procedural; I see this as a patrol show.” The unique setting of The Rookie: North distinguishes it from typical patrol narratives.
Hawley elaborated on his choice of setting, remarking, “I think every patrol cop show versus a procedural has really been big-city oriented, New York, Boston, Chicago, LA, so I like the idea that this place is a bigger slice of America, where people live.” He highlighted the importance of the varied landscape, mentioning that Pierce County includes urban areas like Tacoma, along with suburban and rural locales. This backdrop featuring elements such as meth labs and military bases adds depth to the storyline.
Hawley noted the implications of a smaller police force, where it might take up to 15 minutes for backup to arrive, contrasting it with the swift responses depicted in The Rookie. “I thought it would just immediately set the show apart visually and thematically,” he explained.
The lead character’s journey offers a fresh perspective. “The character that Jay plays is a guy who never really found something he’s passionate about before this," Hawley said. He added that Alex’s backstory includes a stint in law school, which he ultimately abandoned due to unforeseen circumstances.
When questioned about the choice of the name Alex Holland, which bears resemblance to his own, Hawley clarified, “It’s not that I don’t recognize it now but at the time, you just go, what sounds good together.”
After a lengthy development process, The Rookie: North received the green light for its pilot after securing the talented Ellis for the lead role. Hawley described the casting as “a dream,” praising Ellis’s ability to balance comedy and emotion. “I’m very excited about Jay, I think he really opens up the show to be its own thing in a great way,” he stated.
Notably, The Rookie: North will stand alone and not be embedded into the original series, unlike the spinoff The Rookie: Feds, featuring Niecy Nash. With no current plans for Ellis to appear in this season of the original series, Hawley remains optimistic about future crossovers, saying, “But down the road, in success, definitely. It’s a little harder if it’s Vancouver and LA but it’s not impossible.”
