Drama procedural franchises have proven resilient amid declining linear ratings, with CBS’ FBI series and NBC’s Chicago and Law & Order dramas topping Live+Same Day ratings during premiere week.
ABC has had a lot of success with flagship drama Grey’s Anatomy and its spinoff Station 19, which have built an integrated universe with characters, most notably Jason George, permanently moving from the mothership to the offshoot.
Last season, the network took a more traditional, “franchise” approach with one of its top procedurals, cop drama The Rookie, introducing a potential spinoff set in a different world, the FBI, as a backdoor pilot.
The project, The Rookie: Feds, starring Niecy Nash, went to series, which just made its debut. Now ABC is looking to the same with another hit procedural, medical drama The Good Doctor, which is getting a planted spinoff, The Good Lawyer, airing as an episode later this season.
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