The Rookie has been renewed for a seventh season, and Nathan Fillion is sure to be celebrating. The popular police drama – which recently debuted its 100th episode – has continued to go from strength, with the sixth instalment racking up an impressive 11.9 million viewers for the premiere alone.
With season six continuing to unfold on ABC, details surrounding series seven are being kept under wraps, however, the cast and crew have shared their excitement on Instagram. "Ready for another season working with my favourite people," penned Bailey Nune actress, Jenna Dewan.
"Yay!!!! So excited for this wonderful crew of storytellers! Thank you @abcnetwork @lionsgate @therookieabc @alexi.hawley @nathan fillion @michellechapman333," responded Melissa O'Neil – aka Officer Lucy Chen.
"Oh yeah…. @therookieabc fans who's ready?!?! So thankful to be a part of this incredible show! Love this team!" declared Tim Bradford actor Eric Winter.
While season seven is in the works, the cast and crew have been focusing on the sixth instalment, which has debuted six out of ten episodes thus far.
"John Nolan (Nathan Fillion), once the oldest rookie in the LAPD, has used his life experience, determination and sense of humor to keep up with rookies 20 years his junior," teases the official synopsis.
"Nolan feels like it can't get much better, now that his life with Bailey (Jenna Dewan) is moving forward, and he has chosen his career path. However, he and his team must grapple with the aftermath of their recent assaults before they can move forward."
Back in February, Nathan Fillion caught up with Collider where he shared his hopes for The Rookie's legacy. "One of the worst nightmares for a television actor would be to be forgotten," he told the publication.
"I would hope the legacy is it turns out to be one of those classic TV shows that people always think about when they think about cop shows, something they think about when they think about a reset. I want it to become, not iconic, but culturally embedded. If legacy means it has to end first, I hope our legacy doesn't come for a while yet."
In a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the star – who is also signed on as an executive producer – has attributed the drama's longevity to series creator and showrunner Alexi Hawley.
"What I knew was that I was getting into business with a person that I'd worked with before in Alexi Hawley," recalled Nathan.
"I know how he likes to tell stories. I know how he likes to run a show, which is incredibly important because that's my day-to-day, day in and day out. What I saw was that he had an interesting new 'in' to the police show. This concept of the restart for John Nolan, that was our pathway into this classic TV genre. And what I've noticed since is that it's the engine that will keep this thing moving."