By Brianna Alleva
Procedural Cop shows tend to go in a few routes: the funny, sitcom-based show, the serious, drama-filled show, and somewhere in between, where The Rookie sits.
That balance makes it especially appealing to a wide audience, creating a strong opportunity for brands looking to advertise on streaming.
Advertise on Streaming: The Rookie
Audience Demographics for CTV
- Adults 25–54 (core scale)
- Adults 18–34 (streaming growth)
- Gen Z (secondary but highly engaged)
- Co-viewing households
Typical Advertisements for Streaming
- Auto (perfect genre alignment)
- Insurance / financial services
- QSR / retail
- Streaservices/entertainmentTelecom/wirelessreless
Where to Stream Reality Check: The Rookie
Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Apple TV (for a cost)Discovering a show that already has many seasons, each with more than 10 episodes, is a win. Add on the show actually being interesting and well done, and we have a win all around.
- Hulu (with subscription)
- Disney + (with subscription)
- Philo (with subscription)
- Fubo TV (with subscription)
- Sling TV (with subscription)
- YouTube TV (with subscription)
- Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Apple TV (for a cost)
Who Would Make a Good Cop?
The Rookie, which originally aired in 2018, has consistently made good TV since then. The show revolves around John Nolan, who is making a midlife career change to become a cop. He starts by learning the ropes of the job alongside his fellow rookies.
The cast of police officers and, later, lawyers makes the show interesting and has kept it fresh for eight seasons.
Since most shows about police officers and lawyers tend to be either realistic or very unrealistic, a show like The Rookie poses an interesting question about police officers in the real world.
Which characters from the show do I think would make good police officers in real life?
My qualifications for this are limited by my experience and perspective; here they are.
(Disney/Gizelle Hernandez via the bleedingcool.com)
The main character: John Nolan. He is good with people, smart, and uses his past job as a contractor to his advantage. I see John as a patrol officer, exactly as he is portrayed in the show. Anything like a detective would be too much for him.
(Disney/Gizelle Hernandez via the bleedingcool.com)
To be fair, Bailey is a firefighter, but she is also in the military. I think she would make a good detective, fighting crime. Patrol officer, I feel like it would be too mundane for her.
(Disney/Gizelle Hernandez via the bleedingcool.com)
Lucy is a hard one. She does have good qualities that make her cunning and a good leader. Her work as an undercover cop on the show seems legit, but in real life, I do not think she would have the mental strength to do that work. She would make a good patrol officer, working with the community; anything tougher, I am not sure.
(Disney/Gizelle Hernandez via the bleedingcool.com)
The character Tim was written as very straight-laced and smart. I think he would make a good detective or even a sergeant as he progresses on the show. Anything too close to the community, I think, would showcase his strict attitude.
(Disney/Gizelle Hernandez via the bleedingcool.com)
Wade Grey is a perfectly written commander for the show. He focuses on the rules, cares about his people, and earns a lot of respect. He may find a patrol officer boring, but as a detective, he would also be super good at it.
(Disney/Gizelle Hernandez via the bleedingcool.com)
Celina is also a tough one, but for different reasons than Lucy. I feel like at least she was a “bad” officer, if only because she was a newbie and they focused on her pulling people over for vibes. She does become a better officer over time, but Celina is impulsive and forgetful. I honestly think this is the first character who would not make a good police officer in real life.
(Disney/Gizelle Hernandez via the bleedingcool.com)
Wesley is a lawyer in the show, and I think that is where he should stay. During the show, he has had his fair share of scares and fights, but I don’t think he would be great at being an enforcer outside the courtroom.
(Disney/Gizelle Hernandez via the bleedingcool.com)
Angela Lopez is probably the best police officer character in the show. She is mature, smart, great at connecting with people, and a good leader. She would make a perfect detective in real life.
(Disney/Gizelle Hernandez via the bleedingcool.com)
Similar to Angela, Nyla Harper is one of the best detectives and characters on the show. She is balanced, smart, and slow to anger. Everything about her would make her a great police officer. She could do whatever she wants and excel.
Overall, The Rookie does a good job of creating believable police officers and believable situations (at least… according to me).
Many advertisers are reaching their ideal audience on shows likeThe Rookie .