The Rookies (1972)

Crime · Drama

The Rookies is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department.

IMDb rating: 6.9 (1,462 votes)
Episode average: 7.7 ↑ +0.8 vs IMDb
Seasons: 4
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

Browse shows by rating shape → Open in Rising Shows app → View on IMDb

Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 4 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1972)

7.80 avg 24 episodes 6.8 → 8.2 52 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
0	Pilot	6.8	126
1	Concrete Valley, Neon Sky	6.9	72
2	Dead, Like a Lost Dream	7.3	54
3	The Informant	7.0	44
4	The Commitment	7.9	48
5	Covenant with Death	7.6	44
6	Time Is the Fire	7.9	49
7	The Bear That Didn't Get Up	7.8	42
8	Dirge for Sunday	7.5	52
9	The Good Die Young	7.6	41
10	To Taste of Terror	8.6	55
11	A Deadly Velocity	8.0	46
12	A Bloody Shade of Blue	8.1	44
13	A Very Special Piece of Ground	7.9	48
14	Rabbits on the Runway	8.3	52
15	Tarnished Idol	8.2	41
16	Crossfire	8.0	43
17	Snow Job	8.5	38
18	Point of Impact	7.2	31
19	Three Hours to Kill	8.4	44
20	The Wheel of Death	7.6	38
21	Life Robbery	7.5	38
22	A Farewell Tree from Marly	8.4	43
23	Easy Money	8.2	38

Season 2 (1973)

7.92 avg 23 episodes 7.8 → 7.1 60 min avg

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Cauldron	7.8	33
2	Margin for Error	8.3	40
3	Deadly Cage	7.9	32
4	Frozen Smoke	7.8	39
5	Get Ryker	7.8	32
6	Cry Wolf	7.6	33
7	A Matter of Justice	8.2	37
8	Blood Brother	8.2	33
9	Code 261	8.2	43
10	Prayers Unanswered, Prayers Unheard	8.0	38
11	Down Home Boy	8.3	40
12	Lots of Trees and a Running Stream	8.1	39
13	Another Beginning for Ben Fuller	7.5	34
14	Sound of Silence	7.8	35
15	Trial by Doubt	8.1	31
16	The Authentic Death of Billy Stomper	8.6	39
17	The Late Mr. Brent	7.3	30
18	The Teacher	8.4	48
19	Eyewitness	8.5	32
20	Something Less Than a Man	7.1	33
21	Rolling Thunder	7.8	29
22	Time Lock	7.8	33
23	Death Watch	7.1	33

Season 3 (1974)

7.70 avg 23 episodes 7.9 → 8.0 60 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	An Ugly Way to Die	7.9	37
2	Key Witness	8.2	40
3	Legacy of Death	8.5	38
4	Death at 6 A.M.	6.9	39
5	Walk a Tightrope	6.9	39
6	Judgement	7.8	42
7	Johnny Lost His Gun	6.9	38
8	Prelude to Vengeance	7.7	40
9	Vendetta	7.8	35
10	The Old Neighborhood	8.0	34
11	A Test of Courage	7.6	40
12	The Assassin	6.9	35
13	Blue Christmas	7.5	51
14	Take Over	6.9	33
15	The Saturday Night Special	8.0	36
16	The Hunting Ground	8.0	43
17	Solomon's Dilemma	7.3	42
18	Angel	7.9	40
19	The Shield	8.3	36
20	S.W.A.T.	8.5	31
21	A Deadly Image	7.5	34
22	Cliffy	8.1	57
23	Nightmare	8.0	40

Season 4 (1975)

7.46 avg 23 episodes 8.0 → 7.3 60 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Lamb to the Slaughter	8.0	35
2	Reading, Writing and Angel Dust	6.7	43
3	One-Way Street to Nowhere	6.1	32
4	Someone Who Cares	8.0	36
5	Ladies Day	8.3	40
6	Reign of Terror	6.3	28
7	Death Lady	7.2	32
8	Measure of Mercy	7.2	31
9	A Time to Mourn	7.7	31
10	The Institutional Man	7.5	29
11	Invitation to a Rumble	6.2	30
12	Reluctant Hero	7.2	34
13	Dead Heat	8.2	30
14	The Voice of Thunder	7.6	30
15	The Code Five Affair	8.3	36
16	Shadow of a Man	7.4	27
17	Eye for an Eye	7.8	27
18	Sudden Death	7.4	26
19	From Out of the Darkness	8.5	30
20	The Mugging	8.1	27
21	Blue Movie, Blue Death	8.1	26
22	Deliver Me from Innocence	6.4	25
23	Journey to Oblivion	7.3	28