‘R.J. Decker’ Officially Renewed for Season 2!!

The 2025-26 season was another dominant one for ABC when it came to crime dramas. At the top of the hill is the Kaitlin Olson-led megahit High Potential, once again being a ratings juggernaut in Season 2 after becoming the most-watched primetime program across broadcast television last year. It’s also now locked up for Season 3, with two new showrunners in Nora and Lilla Zuckerman taking the reins going forward. Will Trent, meanwhile, has arguably been the network’s most improved series, becoming its first show since Scandal to grow in ratings every year it’s been on the air, making a Season 5 renewal a no-brainer. The success also extended to the latest addition to ABC‘s rotation of unique detectives, though his future was a little less clear-cut.

R.J. Decker, led by Scott Speedman, got off to a hot start when it premiered back in March, immediately scoring a staggering 3.69 million views on ABC and over 11 million views across all Disney platforms. That not only beat High Potential but also constituted the highest ratings for a 10 p.m. series on the network in over five years. Through 35 days of multi-platform viewing, Nielsen ultimately measured the series premiere at an impressive 15.2 million total viewers. Critics and audiences were generally on board with the weirder, Florida-set comedy-drama, too, giving it 75% and 73% scores, respectively, on Rotten Tomatoes. Alas, the photographer-turned-private investigator slowed down enough that the show’s future was in real question, particularly if ABC wanted to pick up any new pilots for the 2026-27 season.

It came down to the wire, but R.J. Decker‘s fate has now finally been decided. The latest detective in ABC‘s lineup of crime dramas is officially coming back for a second season, despite the fears that he would be the odd man out in the end. It was the last existing series from the network’s primetime slate awaiting a decision, meaning that all of ABC‘s scripted shows from this year will be returning next season. That includes Will Trent and High Potential, alongside 9-1-1, its new spin-off, 9-1-1 Nashville, and Grey’s Anatomy on the drama side, with Scrubs, Abbott Elementary, and Shifting Gears on the comedy side.

What Is ‘R.J. Decker’ About?

Loosely based on the novel Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen. R.J. Decker casts Speedman as the titular newspaper photographer and ex-con who has to start over after a stint in prison. He begins a new life as a private investigator, taking on any colorful cases in the Sunshine State that come across his desk, which range from a little odd to completely off-the-wall. Fortunately, he has a bit of help from his journalist ex, her police detective wife, and a shady woman from his past who sent him to jail in the first place, yet may end up being his greatest asset. Jaina Lee Ortiz, Bevin Bru, Kevin Rankin, and Adelaide Clemens also star, while Rob Doherty serves as writer, showrunner, and executive producer.