ABC to Move ‘R.J. Decker’ to New Time

R.J. Decker is on the move.

Deadline reports that ABC will be shifting its freshman crime drama to a new time in April.

The Scott Speedman-led series currently airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET, following High Potential. Once the sophomore hit wraps its second season on April 7, R.J. Decker will settle into the 9 p.m. ET slot. It’s not an unusual move, as the same thing happened for The Rookie last year when it was airing after High Potential.

R.J. Decker will make its 9 p.m. ET slot debut on April 14, and ABC will re-air the first three episodes back-to-back on Thursday, April 9. The mini-marathon, plus an earlier time slot, should put more eyes on the series, which could help with a renewal. As of now, it’s unknown which way ABC is leaning for R.J. Decker. It had a solid premiere with 3.69 million Live+Same day viewers, giving ABC its most-watched 10 p.m. drama debut in over five years. The series has also remained a steady presence in Hulu’s Daily Top 5, and it’s so far looking promising for a renewal. However, with only three weeks in, it’s a bit too early to decide.

Also starring Jaina Lee Ortiz, Bevin Bru, Kevin Rankin, and Adelaide Clemens as Catherine Delacroix, R.J. Decker was inspired by the Carl Hiaasen novel Double Whammy. The show follows Speedman’s R.J. Decker, a former newspaper photographer and ex-con who starts over as a private investigator in the colorful-if-crime-filled world of South Florida. He tackles “cases that range from slightly odd to outright bizarre with the help of his journalist ex, her police detective wife, and a shadowy woman from his past who could be his greatest ally… or his one-way ticket back to prison.”

As of now, ABC has only renewed a few shows for next season, such as Abbott Elementary, High Potential, 9-1-1, and 9-1-1: Nashville, so there are still a lot of shows left. It shouldn’t be long until the Disney-owned network announces more renewals, and whether or not the time shift will help or hurt R.J. Decker will soon be revealed. For now, new episodes of R.J. Decker air on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET. The series will move to 9 p.m. ET beginning on Tuesday, April 14. All episodes stream on Hulu the day after they premiere.