Why There Are No Plans for a Crossover Between The Rookie and 9-1-1

Fans hoping for a crossover between The Rookie and 9-1-1 are likely to be disappointed.

The Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley shut down the idea of their show sharing scenes with fellow ABC series 9-1-1, telling TV Line on Monday, January 13, “No, we haven’t really talked about that. To me, that’s a hard crossover.”

Hawley clarified the reason why there haven’t been attempts to combine the two shows.

“Just because you have an expectation that you’re going to see [9-1-1 characters] all the time,” Hawley noted about how a crossover would open the door for more. “If we’re both in the same universe in Los Angeles, how are we not stumbling over them all the time?”

In 2018, Fox premiered 9-1-1 and introduced viewers to the professional and personal lives of Los Angeles first responders. The show, which starred Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Oliver Stark, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ryan Guzman and Kenneth Choi, remained on the network until 2023.

After Fox canceled 9-1-1, ABC swooped in and renewed the show for a seventh season and has continued to find success on the network. It’s first spinoff, 9-1-1: Lone Star, however, hasn’t had the same luck.

9-1-1: Lone Star followed a New York firefighter (played by Rob Lowe) who relocated to Texas while trying to balance his job alongside his personal issues. Ronen Rubinstein, Sierra McClain, Jim Parrack, Natacha Karam, Brian Michael Smith, Rafael L. Silva, Julian Works and Gina Torres made up the rest of the cast.

By 2023, 9-1-1: Lone Star was renewed for its fifth and final season on Fox. The franchise, however, has continued to grow, and cocreators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear hinting at another location and a possible new spinoff.

The Rookie, meanwhile, debuted in 2018 and followed police offers from a precinct in Los Angeles. The universe is reportedly expanding with a spinoff written by Hawley, set in Washington state and following a male cop entering a new chapter of his life. The premise parallels the idea of the OG series, which centers around Nathan Fillion’s character John Nolan switching careers.

This would be the second spinoff after The Rookie: Feds in 2022. The show was canceled by ABC after one season.

The Rookie airs on ABC Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET. 9-1-1 returns Thursday, March 6, at 8 p.m. ET.