ABC has officially renewed its drama series R.J. Decker for second season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the private investigator drama is based on the novel Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen (Striptease, Bad Monkey, Hoot) and was the final scripted ABC series still awaiting a renewal decision for the 2026-27 television season. With the R.J. Decker pickup, ABC will now bring back all 10 of its scripted shows next season, marking the network’s first season in years without any scripted cancellations.
The network has also renewed series including Abbott Elementary, Grey’s Anatomy, The Rookie, Will Trent, High Potential, and both 9-1-1 dramas. Currently, ABC only has one pilot still under consideration for pickup which is The Rookie: North, a spinoff of The Rookie starring Jay Ellis (Insecure, Running Point, Top Gun: Maverick).
Scott Speedman (Underworld, The Strangers, Animal Kingdom) stars in R.J. Decker as the title character, who is a disgraced former photojournalist and ex-convict who begins working as a private investigator in South Florida. Additional cast members include Jaina Lee Ortiz (Station 19, Girls Trip, Rosewood), Bevin Bru (57 Seconds, Batwoman), Kevin Rankin (Claws, Breaking Bad, Dallas Buyers Club), and Adelaide Clemens (Rectify, The Great Gatsby, Parade’s End).
The series delivered strong ratings during its spring of 2026 debut. The series’ March 3 premiere date accumulated more than 15 million viewers across multiple platforms after five weeks of viewing. Over seven days of linear viewing, the series averaged just under five million viewers, putting the series in line with ABC dramas such as The Rookie and 9-1-1: Nashville.
R.J. Decker is produced by 20th Television. Rob Doherty (Elementary, Medium, Star Trek: Voyager), R.J. Decker’s showrunner, adapted Hiaasen’s novel for television and also serves as the executive producer alongside Carl Beverly (Justified, Unbelievable), Sarah Timberman (Elementary, Justified), Hiaasen, and Jason Tracey (Elementary, Burn Notice). The lead actor, Speedman, also serves as a producer on the series.