Archive · 22 Jan 2026
ABC Cop Dramas Gain Viewers Midseason
ABC's cop shows High Potential, Will Trent, and The Rookie had their first episodes of 2026.
High Potential moved to an earlier time slot and got more viewers than before.
Will Trent had its best performance in a year.
The Rookie had its best season start in six years and did really well on streaming.
The Rookie is moving to Monday nights to make room for a new show called RJ Decker, which starts in March.
ABC thinks this will help build an audience for the new show.
High Potential's midseason premiere gained 12.33M viewers across platforms, up 7% from its fall finale.
Will Trent's Season 4 premiere attracted 8.91M viewers, a 12% increase from the previous season finale.
The Rookie's Season 8 opener had 9.35M viewers, its best premiere in six years, with strong streaming performance.
The Rookie will move to Monday nights starting January 26 to make way for the new drama RJ Decker.
RJ Decker, starring Scott Speedman, will debut on March 3, with ABC using its Tuesday night shows to build an audience.
- Who
- ABC's cop dramas: High Potential, Will Trent, and The Rookie
- What
- Midseason premieres gained viewers, with The Rookie moving to Monday nights
- When
- Midseason 2026, with The Rookie's move starting January 26
- Where
- ABC network and streaming platforms (Hulu, Hulu on Disney+, digital)
- Why
- To make way for a new drama, RJ Decker, and to capitalize on the established strength of Tuesday night shows
- High Potential Viewers
- 12.33M
- High Potential Time Slot
- 9 p.m.
- Will Trent Viewers
- 8.91M
- Will Trent Season
- 4
- The Rookie Viewers
- 9.35M
- The Rookie Location
- Prague
- New Show
- RJ Decker
- New Show Air Date
- March 3