Tuesday nights are changing, as ABC debuts its newest crime dramedy. While we predicted the premiere month, the timeslot comes as a surprise.
ABC has carved out a good niche of crime TV shows in recent years. The Tuesday night lineup has succeeded with Will Trent, High Potential and The Rookie all becoming good hits. Now, we know when the latest series for this block enters!
RJ Decker will premiere as expected (but not in the timeslot we thought)
Per TVLine, ABC has revealed that the new series RJ Decker will debut on Tuesday, March 3 at 10/9c, following new episodes of Will Trent and High Potential. The Rookie will be moving to Mondays at 10/9c starting on Monday, Jan. 26.
It’s a good slot for the series as it follows two established hit dramas and fits the Tuesday crime lineup perfectly. It promises to give new attention to what’s already looking like a stellar new crime show!
What is RJ Decker about?
Created by Rob Doherty of Elementary fame, RJ Decker is based on the novel Double Whammy by acclaimed author Carl Hiaasen. Scott Speedman plays the title role of RJ Decker, a former newspaper reporter just out of jail who starts a new career as a private eye in south Florida. The series looks like it will bounce between Decker investigating quirky cases and being drawn into a longer story arc involving a major scandal that can rock the state.
The series co-stars Jaina Lee Ortiz as Emi Ochoa, a senator’s daughter who gets very steamy with Decker. Also on board are Adelaide Clemens as Decker's ex, Catherine Delacroix; Kevin Rankin as Decker’s former cellmate Aloysius; and Bevin Bru as Melody Romero, a Fort Lauderdale Police Department detective who is married to Catherine.
Fans of Hiaasen's books know the author is fantastic crafting crime tales laced with dark humor and exposing the weird side of Florida life. His works have inspired the movie Striptease and the Apple TV series Bad Monkey. It's possible Decker may draw inspiration not just from Double Whammy but other Hiaasen novels for its storylines and works well with the other Tuesday night dramas.
This premiere date is a bit surprising yet it does fit ABC’s tendency to premiere some shows in March that end up becoming surprise hits (Castle comes to mind). Waiting until after the Winter Olympics is smart, as that avoids being crushed for viewer attention. Also, as Will Trent and High Potential will continue with new episodes without breaks, Decker will benefit from this ongoing run.
It's the timeslot we're surprised by. When we thought of RJ Decker fitting into Tuesday's schedule, we envisioned it taking High Potential's timeslot after season 2 came to an end. However, it's taking the later timeslot, pushing The Rookie to Mondays.
RJ Decker premieres on Tuesday, March 3 at 10/9c on ABC.