BURBANK, CA — ABC has officially handed a second-season renewal to its freshman crime drama R.J. Decker, ensuring that Scott Speedman’s disgraced photojournalist-turned-PI will return for more “Floridian weirdness.”
The announcement, made on Friday, May 8, 2026, completes a historic sweep for ABC, which has now renewed every single scripted series on its primetime slate for the 2026–2027 broadcast season.
A “Double Whammy” Success
Inspired by Carl Hiaasen’s 1987 novel Double Whammy, the series follows R.J. Decker (Speedman), a former newspaper photographer and ex-con navigating the bizarre criminal underworld of South Florida.
Despite being one of the final shows “on the bubble,” the series proved its value with strong multi-platform performance. The March premiere alone reached a massive 11.64 million viewers across ABC, Hulu, and Disney+ within its first six days. Its ability to retain 73% of its lead-in audience from High Potential reportedly sealed the deal for the network.
Returning Cast and Creators
Showrunner Rob Doherty (Elementary) will return to lead the sophomore season. The core ensemble is expected to remain intact:
- Scott Speedman as R.J. Decker
- Adelaide Clemens as his journalist ex-wife, Catherine Delacroix
- Bevin Bru as Detective Melody “Mel” Abreu (Catherine’s wife)
- Jaina Lee Ortiz as the mysterious benefactor Emilia “Emi” Ochoa
- Kevin Rankin as Decker’s mischievous former cellmate, Aloysius “Wish” Aiken
What to Expect in Season 2
The first season concluded its nine-episode run on April 28, leaving several narrative threads hanging—most notably the “fun but perilous” relationship between Decker and Emi Ochoa.
”We want to embrace the weirdness of the place without speaking down to it,” Doherty told TVLine following the renewal. He hinted that Season 2 will continue to “complicate things” for Decker, balancing episodic mysteries with the larger looming threat of his past.
ABC’s 2026–2027 Scripted Lineup
With R.J. Decker confirmed, ABC’s slate for the next season is officially locked.
Production is expected to return to Wilmington, North Carolina (doubling for Florida) in late 2026, with a premiere likely slated for the midseason window in early 2027.
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