There’s a fresh wave of excitement building in the world of network television, and at the center of it all is Alexi Hawley—the creative mind who turned “The Rookie” into one of ABC’s most reliable crime dramas. Now, he’s inching ever closer to launching the next chapter of his franchise, with a new spinoff reportedly gaining serious momentum at the network. If the rumors swirling around Hollywood are any indication, “The Rookie North”—yes, that’s the working title, for now—could soon be heading for a pilot order as soon as the lead role is filled.

It all started quietly last November, when word first trickled out that Hawley was cooking up an offshoot set against the misty backdrop of Washington state. The premise? A male cop, somewhere in his forties or fifties, who finds himself at a crossroads and decides to start over as a rookie officer after life didn’t quite go according to plan. It’s a classic tale of reinvention, but with that signature “Rookie” twist: the hero, possibly named Alex, is a former overachiever whose dreams took a detour—and now, he’s ready for a second act.

If that sounds familiar, it should. Hawley’s original series struck a chord with viewers by tapping into the universal longing for a fresh start, and “The Rookie North” looks poised to double down on that theme. “The engine of the show is ‘reinvention,’” Hawley explained recently, “and the way in on it is you get to a stage in your life where you’re unhappy where you are and want to make a change.” It’s a storyline that resonates, especially in an era when more people than ever are rethinking what comes next.

But Hawley is the first to admit that, in the unpredictable world of television, nothing is certain until the cameras roll. “I feel really good about the script,” he confided, sounding both hopeful and cautiously realistic. “Ultimately, we’re waiting to hear what the needs are [at ABC], but I feel very positive about it.” He’s seen enough of the business to know that even the best-laid plans can go sideways—recalling, with a rueful laugh, how confident he once felt about a third season of Netflix’s “The Recruit,” only to see it slip away. “But look, it’s apples and oranges,” he said, pointing out that “The Rookie” just landed a coveted eighth season at ABC. “The show works really well for [the network]… Beyond that, it’s out of my hands.”

If and when “The Rookie North” gets the green light, it’ll bring with it a new cast of characters—training officers, fellow rookies, and a police chief, all set to populate the Pacific Northwest precinct. The search for the perfect lead is still ongoing, but the buzz is that once the right actor is found, the pilot order could be a done deal. For fans, that means the countdown is on.

Of course, spinoffs are always a gamble, even for a franchise as sturdy as “The Rookie.” ABC has been down this road before, launching “The Rookie: Feds” with Niecy Nash-Betts at the helm back in 2022. That series, which followed a team of FBI agents, had all the makings of a hit but ultimately lasted just one season before being canceled. Still, if Hawley’s track record is anything to go by, there’s every reason to believe he can recapture the magic.

For now, all eyes are on ABC as the network weighs its next move. The appetite for stories of reinvention, redemption, and second chances has never been stronger, and “The Rookie North” could be just the kind of fresh start viewers—and the network—are looking for. If Hawley’s vision comes to life, expect plenty of drama, heart, and the kind of hope that keeps audiences coming back for more. And in a TV landscape where anything can happen, maybe that’s exactly what we need right now: a reminder that it’s never too late to start over, no matter how many twists the road may take.