ABC has made some significant decisions regarding its post-strike needs, as it has officially canceled “The Rookie: Feds” and has chosen not to move forward with “The Good Doctor” spinoff, “The Good Lawyer.”
Both shows were put on hold back in May as ABC, along with other networks, waited to assess their needs following the conclusion of both the actors and writers strikes. With actors preparing to return to work in the coming days, ABC now has a clearer picture of its schedule for the remainder of the 2023-24 broadcast season.
The cancellation of “The Rookie: Feds” was a result of the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which delayed production and ultimately led the network to determine that there was no need for a second season of the show. Starring Niecy Nash-Betts, the series was a co-production between Disney’s ABC Signature and Entertainment One.
Similarly, “The Good Lawyer,” which was a back-door pilot of “The Good Doctor” and was set to star Kennedy McMann and Felicity Huffman, will not move forward. The show, like its flagship series, is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television.
These decisions come after ABC previously canceled “Home Economics” in September, following its three-season run, as the labor strikes prolonged. It was also revealed that Disney plans to cut an additional $2 billion in costs, with scripted originals being more expensive to produce than unscripted programming.
There has been no announcement of premiere dates for both “The Rookie” and “The Good Doctor,” but production is expected to begin soon on both.
For more information on what shows the broadcast networks have renewed and canceled, as well as new series that may be delayed for the 2024-25 season, you can click here.
Overall, these cancellations and decisions are a reflection of the ongoing impact of the labor strikes and the shifting priorities of networks and studios in response to budgetary considerations. It’s clear that the landscape of television production and programming continues to evolve, and these changes will undoubtedly have an impact on the upcoming broadcast season.
As the industry navigates through this period of change, it remains to be seen how networks and studios will adapt to these new challenges and continue to deliver compelling content to audiences. The decisions made by ABC are just one example of the complex factors at play in the current television landscape.