Could we get a crossover between The Rookie and 911? The showrunner of The Rookie has weighed in!
Crossovers between TV shows on the same network are pretty common, usually between shows set in the same universe. The Rookie had used that a few times, crossing over with the short-lived The Rookie: Feds spinoff. Even after Feds was canceled, some characters still popped up on The Rookie.
However, since 911 moved from Fox to ABC in 2023, there’s been a buzz on whether or not there could be a crossover between those shows. The obvious idea would be for lead cop John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and 911’s Athena Grant (Angela Bassett) to somehow meet up on the job.
It seems logical that the LAPD would work together on some case or disaster. It’s also fun to imagine what huge event could be big enough to bring the shows together. ABC would obviously love such a ratings bonanza so fans would be eager for it.
However, speaking to TVLine, The Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley poured some cold water on any possible crossover plans.
“No, we haven’t really talked about that. To me, that’s a hard crossover, just because you have an expectation that you’re going to see [9-1-1 characters] all the time. If we’re both in the same universe in Los Angeles, how are we not stumbling over them all the time?”
That’s bad news for fans of both shows, yet it sadly also makes some sense that we don’t see many crossovers abounding.
Why a 911/Rookie crossover may not work
The logistics of crossovers can be pretty daunting. You have two or more different shows with different casts, writers, crews, and even locations, so trying to navigate that is a challenge. It’s why the NCIS and FBI shows only have one huge crossover a year or even longer.
The One Chicago shows can have mini-crossovers, but that makes more sense as they’re all in one city. Yet there are scores of shows set in New York City that never crossover, no matter what. You don’t see the detectives of Blue Bloods popping up on, say, Elsbeth or Matlock.
Given how huge Los Angeles is, it make sense the 911 and Rookie cops are in different areas and thus no reason to ever meet up. It's more believable L.A. residents can spend their lives in the city without meeting folks in the same occupation than cops from different departments working together.
There’s also how the two shows have different vibes. The Rookie is all about the cops and while they can get into wild stuff, many of their cases are more grounded. 911 is about first responders with more time on the firefighters and adventures that can get pretty wild (“Beenado” anyone?)
Thus, mixing the two together may be too much of a clash of styles. It’s like back in the 1990s when you had ABC’s gritty legal drama The Practice cross over with Fox’s comedic Ally McBeal. It was fun seeing the characters interact but jarring for the Ally folks in a serious legal show and the Practice guys in a lighter setting.
To use a more recent example, the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia characters popping up on Abbott Elementary was a great and funny episode, yet it also felt a bit less of the usual sting of the raunchy Sunny guys on an ABC sitcom.
The story would have to come first, it can’t just be some excuse for The Rookie and 911 casts to meet. Without a good story, it just comes off as a ratings stunt and a distraction for both shows. Not to mention, as Hawley states, it’s harder to see them never interacting again.
So, for now, the chances of a 911/Rookie crossover appear dead, even as fans can hope some sort of event can somehow bring them together in the future.
The Rookie Season 7 airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC. 911 season 8 returns on Thursday, March 6 at 8/7 on ABC.