{"id":88034,"date":"2024-12-05T22:29:17","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T22:29:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/05\/copy-paste-franchise-fatigue-why-the-rookies-new-spinoff-already-lost-us\/"},"modified":"2024-12-05T22:29:17","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T22:29:17","slug":"copy-paste-franchise-fatigue-why-the-rookies-new-spinoff-already-lost-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/05\/copy-paste-franchise-fatigue-why-the-rookies-new-spinoff-already-lost-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Copy & Paste: Franchise Fatigue & Why The Rookie’s New Spinoff Already Lost Us"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Did we NEED another spinoff of The Rookie<\/a>?<\/p>\n

No, the answer, my dear Rookie Fanatics, is a resounding no!<\/p>\n

News sources have been talking today about a second spinoff in the works for ABC\u2019s popular cop drama. Under any other circumstances, it might appeal to fans.<\/p>\n

\"Explosive\"Explosive
(Disney\/Raymond Liu (ABC))<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, for those of us still reeling from the mixed bag that was The Rookie: Feds<\/a>, we\u2019re skeptical about ABC\u2019s attempt to expand a popular franchise.<\/p>\n

For starters, franchise fatigue is most certainly real.<\/p>\n

Television has built a new era around franchises<\/a>, spinoffs, revivals, reboots, and adaptations.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not to say that many of them aren\u2019t good or even successful. NCIS: Origins<\/a> has been one of the most delightful expansions of the NCIS franchise in quite some time.<\/p>\n

\"Austin\"Austin
(Erik Voake\/CBS)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dick Wolf pretty much cornered the market on franchises with three different ones across two different networks with Law & Order, One Chicago<\/a>, and FBI, and, hell, he\u2019ll probably do the same with the upcoming On Call <\/a>on Prime.<\/p>\n

Cop procedurals, in particular, are always wildly and massively successful and are typically a safe bet.<\/p>\n

ABC has already realized that franchises or showrunner supremacy serve them well.<\/p>\n

The Grey\u2019s Anatomy<\/a> universe has been the network\u2019s bread and butter, and we\u2019re still lamenting the loss of the Shondaland series primetime domination from many years ago.<\/p>\n

\"Ellen\"Ellen
(Disney\/Ser Baffo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But now, they\u2019ve focused on making Ryan Murphy<\/a> productions a network staple, especially after adapting 9-1-1. <\/p>\n

The 9-1-1 franchise will expand as well<\/a> with new series (Sorry, 9-1-1: Lone Star<\/a>, you had to die so that whatever new locale could thrive in its new home).<\/p>\n

And now, ABC is trying their hand at yet another The Rookie spinoff, despite how easily they threw in the towel with Niecy Nash Betts\u2019 The Rookie: Feds.<\/p>\n

Some of us are still a bit bitter about things like Suits: LA <\/a>making its debut soon to capitalize on the renewed success of Suits and expand that franchise all these years later.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s to the chagrin of all four of us Pearson Fanatics, who never got to see the first spinoff get the success it deserved.<\/p>\n

\"Gang\"Gang
(Disney\/Raymond Liu (ABC))<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Everywhere you look, and on every network, they\u2019ve opted to produce repeats or extensions of what they feel works instead of taking bolder risks and creating original, fresh content.<\/p>\n

It sucks, even as someone who enjoys a spinoff <\/a>or two or entire franchises; it\u2019s disappointing that everyone is trying to reinvent the wheel instead of taking a big swing at manufacturing something new entirely.<\/p>\n

And The Rookie, my dear TV Fanatics, epitomizes \u201cmore of the same.\u201d They\u2019re not even attempting to do anything different with this latest spinoff.<\/p>\n

Instead, after the unsuccessful spinoff that saw a middle-aged, queer woman of color getting a fresh start as an FBI agent, no matter how implausible it was, the new spinoff intends to stick to the original formatting.<\/p>\n

\"Still\"Still
(Disney\/Raymond Liu (ABC))<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is the new spinoff\u2019s premise, you ask?<\/p>\n

The spinoff follows a male cop stepping into a new phase of life in his second act.<\/p>\n

So, the series will once again be about a middle-aged man who is having a midlife crisis and will become a cop.<\/p>\n

Are you blinking as much as I am right now? Isn\u2019t that the exact same format as the original Nathan Fillion-led show?<\/p>\n

Oh, wait, you guys. What distinguishes this from the original series is that it will take place somewhere in the state of Washington!<\/p>\n

\"Nolan\"Nolan
(Disney\/Raymond Liu (ABC))<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And by Washington, I\u2019ll bet your bottom dollar it\u2019s somewhere in Seattle because, let\u2019s be real, everyone acts like Seattle is the only city in Washington!<\/p>\n

Hey, maybe, if we\u2019re lucky, they can somehow finagle a crossover with Grey\u2019s Anatomy or something. Doubtful, but a girl can dream.<\/p>\n

So, not only has The Rookie opted to repeat the original series verbatim, but they\u2019re also essentially borrowing from the 9-1-1 franchise.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll just replicate the same show over and over again and place it in a new location!<\/p>\n

\"Training\"Training
(Disney\/Raymond Liu (ABC))<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It feels like they\u2019re resubmitting an old assignment with a new date and title and keeping their fingers crossed for the best.<\/p>\n

The thing is, that works for 9-1-1 as a first responder show that deals more exclusively with firefighters and paramedics responding to a wide array of calls that can be culturally specific to whatever locale they\u2019re in (earthquakes and wildfires in Los Angeles or cowboy-themed foolery in Texas). <\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t have the same feel when you\u2019re exclusively dealing with law enforcement.<\/p>\n

While responses were mixed regarding the award-winning Betts leading The Rookie: Feds spinoff, it was genuinely refreshing to explore a woman entering a new stage of her life via a career change.<\/p>\n

\"Sgt\"Sgt
(Raymond Liu\/ABC)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There was nothing wrong with that concept on its own, and it\u2019s a storyline worth exploring because we\u2019ve exhausted storylines about men and their midlife crises for 50 years!<\/p>\n

Would it have killed anyone to have at least this latest spinoff be female-led just for some razzle-dazzle?<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s where the news of this spinoff elicits more boredom and frustration than excitement.<\/p>\n

The Rookie has been on the air for seven years and is still one of the network\u2019s top series. It is massively successful and possibly still has a lot of life left in it.<\/p>\n

\"Harper,\"Harper,
(ABC (Youtube Screenshot))<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s worrisome that Hawley and ABC could stretch themselves thin by devoting their attention to a newer, flashier version of the exact same series rather than focusing on the one they already have.<\/p>\n

And if they were going to do that, wouldn\u2019t it be worth it if they actually, you know, switched things up a bit or took a more original approach to this new series?<\/p>\n

We can at least feel it\u2019s worth it or understand the purpose.<\/p>\n

Given the franchise\u2019s ongoing theme, the irony of potentially replacing The Rookie with a more current, younger version of the exact same series isn\u2019t lost.<\/p>\n

I get not knocking what already works, but this is ridiculous and a bit underwhelming.<\/p>\n

\"Nolan\"Nolan
(Disney\/Raymond Liu (ABC))<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But maybe we\u2019re being premature. As new information trickles in about this spinoff, with interesting casting and a more detailed synopsis, we could change our minds about this.<\/p>\n

For now, The Rookie, essentially copying and pasting itself to expand its universe, is a prime example of everything wrong, archaic, annoying, and underwhelming about the franchise era and why viewers are over it.<\/p>\n

Over to you, The Rookie Fanatics.<\/p>\n

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