R.J. Decker Season 2’s renewal is one of the biggest boosts of confidence in the broadcast TV era. Another good thing about the pickup is that this means all of the scripted shows currently on the network’s slate are now coming back to the mix, a rare feat in today’s TV landscape where shows get cancelled left and right.
Under the commanding presence of Scott Speedman, the series quietly morphed from a small newcomer into one of ABC’s most successful late-night, delayed hit shows, thanks to the combination of solid delayed viewing, Hulu traction, and a crowd that loved the show’s offbeat blend of noir, comedy, and Florida crime chaos. What was once a bright prospect now feels like an inevitable event, and ABC is suddenly looking like the most stable TV broadcast network on the air.
ABC just pulled off a nearly impossible broadcast TV achievement
Network TV is extremely volatile these days, and so many shows get canceled because people can’t keep up. That’s why what ABC did just recently is significant: They renewed every scripted show on their current slate, including R.J. Decker Season 2.
The sweep features long-running series such as Grey’s Anatomy and The Rookie as well as newer shows like High Potential and 9-1-1: Nashville. For a broadcast network, it’s a rare thing these days: something that is truly stable given budgets that are getting smaller and ratings that are being divided.
R.J. Decker Season 2 was the final domino, ironically. The series was on the bubble for weeks as other ABC dramas picked up earlier renewals, but R.J. Decker Season 2 coming back resulted in one of the network’s most solid scripted seasons in years.
Why R.J. Decker turned into one of ABC’s sneakiest success stories
On the surface, R.J. Decker didn’t appear to be an obvious ABC breakout. The series’ tendency to play with an offbeat, Florida-weird tone inspired by Carl Hiaasen made it more of a risky undertaking than the usual procedural formula the network is known for. That was its uniqueness, but it also helped it stand out.
The show’s performance was ABC’s best-ever 10 p.m. drama opener in more than five years, as its ratings were increased by a lot with streaming and delayed airings on Hulu and Disney+. ABC, however, signalled early confidence by altering the time slot, making heavy use of reruns and supporting it as a long term investment. It became more easy to understand once combined with Scott Speedman’s well-known ABC relationship from Grey’s Anatomy.
Instead of riding a wave of constantly changing online popularity, R.J. Decker created an audience base that values a long-term viewership. R.J. Decker Season 2 isn’t looking to ride the waves of a constantly changing internet audience; it built the kind of loyal, streaming-friendly audience networks increasingly value
What to expect from R.J. Decker Season 2
As with many network crime dramas, R.J. Decker may be just getting started. R.J. Decker Season 2 can finally move past all the concerns over its renewal and adopt the offbeat noir, quirky humor, messy drama and wild Florida energy that the show has to offer, rather than simply establishing itself.
R.J. Decker Season 2’s renewal also reflects a great level of faith from both Scott Speedman and ABC, particularly since he is still trying to find time to balancing the series alongside Grey’s Anatomy. The once-bubble show is now seen as one of ABC’s better long-term investments.
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Edited by Subho Mukhopadhyay