Simone Clark (Niecy Nash-Betts) didn’t get to solve a lot of cases as an FBI agent. That’s because ABC canceled “The Rookie: Feds” after one season due to low ratings and corporate restructuring at the network.
The show premiered to an underwhelming 2.2 million viewers, but it faced an uphill battle from the get-go. “The Rookie: Feds” originally aired at 10 p.m. on Tuesday nights — long considered ABC’s death slot. The numbers increased with playbacks, but they weren’t high enough to keep the procedural series on the air.
“The Rookie: Feds” was also affected by the SAG-AFTRA strike and industry changes at the time. Co-creator Alexi Hawley believes the ratings were improving, but ABC had other plans.
“A lot had to do with the forces that led to strike … the consolidation of the industry, the economic impact of the streaming wars have had on different companies,” Hawley told the Television Critics Tour (via Deadline) in 2024. “I do feel it was not a creative decision. It was a business decision. I can’t argue with that.”
The Rookie: Feds received a mixed reception among critics and viewers
