The TV Ratings Guide: May 2026

On Wednesdays, I am taking a look at the major Emmy categories before nominations are revealed in July. Here's a look at the Supporting Actor and Actress in a Limited Series/TV Movie categories! I always find the Limited Series races interesting because it's a new slate of nominees every single year. It's much more like the Oscars or Tonys than the Comedy and Drama categories. But I think it's widely agreed that this year was not the strongest year for Limited Series. As streamers have started to pivot back towards desiring long-term, ongoing series (thanks to The Pitt among others) and as they have cut back on spending, the star-driven limited series has been less of an appealing option for the various platforms. But there are still some noteworthy performances.

ABC has handed a series order to their lone drama pilot, The Rookie: North. The spinoff of their long-running procedural hit The Rookie has been in development for over a year, with a pilot ordered this year en route to its eventual pickup. The pilot stars Jay Ellis as Alex Holland, who is inspired to join the Pierce County PD after a violent home invasion. He'll be on the case in both the urban coast and the rural forest in the sprawling Washington County, as he tries to prove to his skeptical training officer and fellow rookies that he belongs on the force. Chris Sullivan, Janet Montgomery, Karen Fukuhara, Malik Watson, Froy Gutierrez, and Mya Lowe will also star in the series, which has a ten-episode order for its first series. It is set for a midseason debut in early 2027. It's the second spinoff of The Rookie, after one-and-done The Rookie: Feds. Unlike Feds, The Rookie: North did not have a backdoor pilot on the parent show, as ABC utilizes a different strategy to launch this new series. There are, however, plans for crossovers between the two series.