The Rookie season 8: Release date and latest news
Prepare for an action-packed new season, as John and Bailey head to Prague.
Hit procedural show The Rookie continues to delight fans year after year, and that hasn't changed in 2026, with a new season now having debuted in the US.
This latest run, the show's eighth season, kicked off with Nathan Fillion's John Nolan and his wife Bailey Nune, played by Jenna Dewan, travelling to Prague for a second honeymoon, filled with what Dewan has described as "lots of unexpected yet bonding adrenaline".
Dewan was speaking with People alongside Fillion, with the latter joking of their holiday: "Beggars can't be choosers. Yet, I think they're two very grateful people who enjoy each other at the very least."
Speaking to Deadline after the episode aired, creator Alexi Hawley explained that he has always wanted to take the show abroad, but budgets often made it impossible.
"I had just come off doing season 2 of The Recruit where we spent a month in Korea, and it just felt very possible," he explained. "And just rolling into the season, I’m like, season 8, it’s rarefied air already, how do we start with a splash. And knowing that you can do it for a price, and knowing that the premiere was already going to inherently be over budget on purpose.
"I think the thing that sealed the deal was I didn’t ask for more money for it. I was just like, we’ll absorb it. We just want to go do this, and now I’m like, where are we going with the premiere next season? Knock on wood."
In a sign of the show's ongoing popularity, a new spin-off, The Rookie: North has been commissioned, after a previous attempt, The Rookie: Feds, lasted only one season.
The series will star Jay Ellis as Alex Holland, who joins the Pierce County Police Department as its oldest rookie.
Speaking with Deadline, Hawley explained how the new show will be different, saying: "I don’t actually see us as a procedural, I see this as a patrol show.
"I think ultimately, what I got excited about was, 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.
"The county that they’re policing does include Tacoma, so there is some urban but at the same time, it’s also the suburbs and the exurbs, and it’s also the meth lab in the woods, and a National Park, and there’s a military base. That sort of county is really interesting."
But when will fans in the UK get to see the latest run of the original show? Read on for everything you need to know about The Rookie season 8.
Will there be a The Rookie season 8?
There will! The series was renewed in April 2025, ahead of season 7 coming to an end in May.
Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, explained why The Rookie, along with other long-running shows such as 911 and Grey’s Anatomy, were so ripe for renewal, despite having been around for so long.
He told Deadline: "Those may be quote-unquote ‘older shows’ in terms of how many seasons, but what we’re seeing is new generations of fans coming in and discovering these shows.
"We have at Disney a very unique ecosystem where we have multiple platforms, but we’re able to create singular events. We’re better at it than anybody."
He continued: "Those shows continue to recruit new viewers and stay fresh, and they stay current in the storytelling. So this is why we don’t really consider them older shows. They’re young and spry and vibrant and continue to deliver performance and a lot of joy and entertainment to those viewers."
When will The Rookie season 8 be released?
The Rookie season 8 debuted in the US on Tuesday 6th January 2026, with the first episode airing at 10pm on ABC.
This follows a similar release pattern to the show's two most recent runs, after previous seasons had always debuted in autumn, in either September or October.
Sadly for fans in the UK, a release date on Sky Witness and NOW has yet to be confirmed. Seasons have tended to arrive after they have finished airing in the US, with the last two airing in June.
We would therefore imagine that season 8 will follow a similar pattern, with a June 2026 release date.
Who will return to star in The Rookie season 8?
The entire central cast from The Rookie season 7 has returned for season 8, with Nathan Fillion, Alyssa Diaz, Richard T Jones, Mekia Cox, Shawn Ashmore, Jenna Dewan and Lisseth Chavez all back.
Melissa O'Neil and Eric Winter have also returned as Lucy and Tim, after their characters' relationship almost took a step forward in the season finale, with the latter asking the former to move in. However, Lucy fell asleep before she could hear the question.
Creator and showrunner Alexi Hawley previously spoke about the moment with TVLine, saying that the conversation which they were stopped from having "should be had, ultimately".
"I think the audiences expect that and wants that," he said. "Much as it made me laugh to have her fall asleep, they’re going to want that conversation. But yes, we’re almost there, let’s say that."
Meanwhile, Deric Augustine, who joined the series as Miles Penn in season 7, has been promoted to a series regular, and one supporting actor who is returning is Bridget Regan as Monica Stevens, after her character secured her own immunity via nefarious means at the end of the finale.
Speaking about the role she might play in season 8, Hawley told Deadline: "I think Monica is always a bit of a gadfly. I think the immunity deal was her 11-and-a-half hour, pulling it out of the fire, so to speak, and getting leverage on the government.
"But I think what we’ll find in season 8 is that there’s other stories to tell with her. There is other facets to that immunity deal, which could play out in season 8, and then also, what does the next chapter look like for her and us? Because she’s not getting her law licence back, so what? That’s stuff we’re investigating in the room in the coming weeks, what is the fallout?"
Here's a full list of the main actors and characters in The Rookie season 7, who we are expecting to see back in season 8:
- Nathan Fillion as John Nolan
- Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez
- Richard T Jones as Wade Grey
- Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen
- Eric Winter as Tim Bradford
- Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper
- Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers
- Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune
- Lisseth Chavez as Celina Juarez
- Deric Augustine as Miles Penn
Is there a trailer for The Rookie season 8?
There is! You can watch the trailer for The Rookie season 8 right here now.
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The Rookie airs on Sky Witness and NOW.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
