The Rookie future confirmed as series creator teases cliffhanger ending

With the eighth season of police procedural series The Rookie now airing in the UK, and coming to the end of its current run in the US, the show's future has now been confirmed.

The series has now officially been renewed for a ninth season, becoming the third longest-running drama series for US network ABC, after Grey’s Anatomy and NYPD Blue.

Speaking with Deadline, the show's creator Alexi Hawley teased that the team plan to "Grey’s Anatomy this thing", meaning they intend to continue making the series for as long as possible.

"I think everybody is having a good time, it’s a cast that truly loves each other and enjoys coming to work, they get to do fun stuff every day," he said. "And at this point, heading into season 9, I don’t feel like we’re anywhere near out of ideas.

"Part of that is we’re not a procedural where I have to come up with a body drop every week. We really can reinvent ourselves a lot, and that helps with not feeling like you’re running out of story.

"Every time you bring in a new rookie or a new character, that also changes things. So, yeah, I would do this until they turn the lights out."

While speaking with the publication, Hawley also teased that "there might be a cliffhanger at the end" of season 8, before adding: "It’s safe to say that the Monica (Bridget Regan) story comes back in a big way, the task force and Monica. Also, some story that we set up early in the season comes back towards the end."

The Rookie stars Nathan Fillion, Alyssa Diaz, Richard T Jones, Melissa O’Neil, Eric Winter, Mekia Cox, Shawn Ashmore, Jenna Dewan, Lisseth Chavez and Deric Augustine.

Now, fans are just waiting on news of The Rookie: North, a new spin-off series in development. The show's pilot was filmed earlier this year, and Hawley told Deadline that it "came out great," meaning he is optimistic that it will get a full season.

"The network seems super happy with it," he said. "You never know until you know but we have a really amazing cast, led by Jay Ellis who’s a star; it was a joy to make that with him and the rest of them. You know me, I’m just an optimistic person in general, so I’m hopeful and optimistic that we could be talking about that in the near future."

If The Rookie: North does come to pass, it will star Jay Ellis as Alex Holland, who joins the Pierce County Police Department as its oldest rookie.

The Rookie airs on Sky Witness and NOW in the UK. Find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.

Add The Rookie to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.