The first time it happened was during the strike. A writer came up to me on the picket line to tell me that their 13-year-old loved “The Rookie.” Since then, I’ve heard that same sentiment over and over again (with the age often lowered to 10 and 11). I have several theories on why “The Rookie” has found purchase with an increasingly younger audience, starting with how popular our clips have grown on TikTok. But at its heart, I see our success as part of a larger (and longer-unfolding) phenomena: Network television has become comfort food for the anxiety generation.
Related Stories
Before I
→ Continue reading at Variety
