R.J. Decker

☆ Save On Wikipedia ↗
R.J. Decker
GenreCrime drama
Comedy drama
Created byRobert Doherty
Inspired by
Double Whammy
by Carl Hiaasen
Starring
Music bySean Callery
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes9
Production
Executive producers
  • Carl Hiaasen
  • Paul McGuigan
  • Carl Beverly
  • Sarah Timberman
  • Robert Doherty
  • Jason Tracey
Producers
  • Barbara D'Alessandro
  • Scott Speedman
  • John Radulovic
Cinematography
  • Oliver Bokelberg
  • Ron Fortunato
Editors
  • Joshua Charson
  • Gerald Valdez
  • Susan Vaill
  • Mark Manos
  • Anna Terebelo
Running time42–45 minutes
Production companies
  • Hill of Beans Productions, Inc.
  • Timberman/Beverly Productions
  • 20th Television
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseMarch 3, 2026 (2026-03-03) –
present

R.J. Decker is an American crime drama television series created by Robert Doherty and inspired by the 1987 novel Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen. The series stars Scott Speedman in the titular role and premiered on ABC on March 3, 2026. In May 2026, the series was renewed for a second season.

Premise

The series follows R.J. Decker, discredited newspaper photographer and ex-con, convicted after false testimony, as he "starts over as a private investigator in the colorful-if-crime-filled world of South Florida, tackling cases that range from slightly odd to outright bizarre with the help of his journalist ex, her police detective wife, and a shadowy new benefactor, a woman from his past who could be his greatest ally... or his one-way ticket back to prison."[1]

Cast

Main

  • Scott Speedman as R.J. Decker, a former photojournalist who was jailed for eighteen months for assault and now makes a living as a private investigator
  • Jaina Lee Ortiz as Emilia "Emi" Ochoa, a woman who sent R.J. to prison at the order of her corrupt father who is a state senator
  • Kevin Rankin as Aloysius "Wish" Aiken, R.J.'s former cellmate and a current bar owner
  • Adelaide Clemens as Catherine Delacroix, R.J.'s bisexual ex-wife and a journalist
  • Bevin Bru as Melody "Mel" Abreu, Catherine's current wife and a detective at Fort Lauderdale Police Department

Recurring

  • Mélodie Rose Romano as Sofia, Mel's daughter and Catherine's stepdaughter

Guest Stars

Episodes

No.Title [3]Directed byWritten byOriginal release date [3]Prod.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Pilot"Paul McGuiganRobert DohertyMarch 3, 2026 (2026-03-03)1XHK013.69[4]
2"Twenty Pounds of Clem in a Ten-Pound Bag"Paul McGuiganRobert DohertyMarch 10, 2026 (2026-03-10)1XHK023.25[5]
3"The Needle and the Damage Done"Tara Nicole WeyrLiz FriedmanMarch 17, 2026 (2026-03-17)1XHK043.10[6]
4"In Vanity Veritas"Holly DaleKen BillerMarch 24, 2026 (2026-03-24)1XHK053.11[7]
5"Burn Notice"Christine MooreJason TraceyMarch 31, 2026 (2026-03-31)1XHK032.99[8]
6"Brenner's Back"Michael LehmannJamie SavareseApril 7, 2026 (2026-04-07)1XHK063.00[9]
7"You've Got Bale"Seith MannJuan Carlos FernandezApril 14, 2026 (2026-04-14)1XHK073.10[10]
8"Burn the Boats"Ken BillerJason TraceyApril 21, 2026 (2026-04-21)1XHK083.27[11]
9"Even Walls Fall Down"Christine MooreRobert DohertyApril 28, 2026 (2026-04-28)1XHK09N/A

Production

Development

The pilot was ordered by ABC in May 2025.[12] In September 2025, R.J. Decker was ordered to series. The series was created by Robert Doherty who was expected to executive produce alongside Carl Hiaasen, Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman, and Paul McGuigan.[13] McGuigan directed the pilot.[14]

On May 8, 2026, ABC renewed the series for a second season.[15]

Casting

In June 2025, Scott Speedman was cast to star.[16] In July 2025, Weruche Opia, Kevin Rankin, Adelaide Clemens, and Bevin Bru joined the main cast.[17][18] In November 2025, Jaina Lee Ortiz joined the cast in recasting, replacing Opia.[19] In April 2026, David Zayas and Stephen Bishop were cast in recurring roles.[2]

Filming

The pilot was filmed in the summer of 2025, in Wilmington, North Carolina and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Filming for the remainder of the first season commenced in November 2025, in Wilmington, and continued through April 2026.[20][18] Filming also took place in Fort Fisher and Carolina Beach, North Carolina.[21]

Release

R.J. Decker premiered on ABC on March 3, 2026.[22] Episodes were subsequently made available on Hulu the day following their broadcast.[23]

Reception

Critical response

The series holds a 75% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 8 critic reviews.[24] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 67 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable".[25]

Ratings

The premiere of R.J. Decker drew 3.69 million Live+Same Day viewers and aired behind Will Trent at 8:00 p.m. and High Potential at 9:00 p.m. The broadcast represented ABC's most-watched 10:00 p.m. drama debut in more than five years, since the premiere of Big Sky on November 17, 2020.[26] The premiere's Live+Same Day audience was higher than those of High Potential and Will Trent, which also debuted in the 10:00 p.m. time slot. As a lead-out to High Potential, the series recorded a lead-in retention rate of 73%, exceeding that of The Rookie in the same slot. Within six days of its release, the premiere accumulated 11.64 million multi-platform viewers across ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+, digital platforms, and linear encores. Over this period, it also ranked No. 1 on daily streaming charts on Hulu and Disney+.[27]

References

  1. Otterson, Joe (June 25, 2025). "Scott Speedman Lands Lead Role in RJ Decker Pilot at ABC". Variety. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  2. Petski, Denise (April 7, 2026). "David Zayas & Stephen Bishop Join 'R.J. Decker' In Recurring Roles". Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  3. "Shows A-Z - RJ Decker on ABC". The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  4. Berman, Marc (March 5, 2026). "Tuesday Ratings: ABC Wins; Respectable Sampling for RJ Decker". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  5. Berman, Marc (March 13, 2026). "Tuesday Ratings: High Potential, Will Trent and RJ Decker Lead ABC to Total Viewer Victory". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  6. Berman, Marc (March 19, 2026). "Tuesday Scorecard: World Baseball Classic Hits a Home Run on Fox; ABC's High Potential Most-Watched Series". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  7. Berman, Marc (March 26, 2026). "Granddaddy NCIS Tops Night in Total Viewers; ABC's Will Trent and High Potential Solid – Tuesday Nationals". Programming Insider. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  8. Berman, Marc (April 2, 2026). "Tuesday Scorecard: ABC and the NBA on NBC Share Dominance; High Potential Most Watched". Programming Insider. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
  9. Berman, Marc (April 9, 2026). "High Potential on ABC Tops Tuesday". Programming Insider. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
  10. Berman, Marc (April 16, 2026). "Diluted NCIS Franchise Leads CBS to Narrow Tuesday Total Viewer Victory". Programming Insider. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  11. Berman, Marc (April 23, 2026). "ABC's 'Will Trent' Tops the Network Tuesday Troops". Programming Insider. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  12. Andreeva, Nellie (May 7, 2025). "ABC Orders RJ Decker Drama Pilot From ElementaryCreator Based On Carl Hiaasen's Novel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  13. Otterson, Joe (September 29, 2025). "ABC Orders RJ Decker Starring Scott Speedman to Series". Variety. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  14. Staton, John (October 16, 2025). "Network TV series opens production offices in Wilmington". Star-News. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  15. Andreeva, Nellie (May 8, 2026). "R.J. Decker Renewed For Season 2, Completing ABC's Sweep Of Every Scripted Series Returning". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  16. Andreeva, Nellie (June 25, 2025). "Scott Speedman To Headline 'RJ Decker' ABC Pilot As He Eyes 'Grey's Anatomy' Return". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  17. Cordero, Rosy (July 11, 2025). "'I May Destroy You's Weruche Opia Joins Scott Speedman In ABC Pilot 'RJ Decker'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  18. Cordero, Rosy (July 16, 2025). "ABC's RJ Decker Pilot Casts Bevin Bru, Kevin Rankin & Adelaide Clemens". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  19. Andreeva, Nellie (November 12, 2025). "Jaina Lee Ortiz Joins Scott Speedman ABC Drama 'RJ Decker' As Series Regular In Recasting". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  20. Smelser, Kamy (February 25, 2026). "New ABC drama RJ Decker shot in Wilmington premieres next week". WWAY. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  21. Smelser, Kamy (February 4, 2026). "WWAY gets inside look at ABC's 'RJ Decker' set ahead of series premiere". WWAY. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
  22. French, Kennedy; Jacob, Arushi (January 14, 2026). "Scott Speedman Series RJ Decker Sets ABC Premiere Date, The Rookie Shifts to Mondays (TV News Roundup)". Variety. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  23. Pruner, Aaron (March 10, 2026). "'R.J. Decker': When Is Episode 2 Coming to Hulu?". CNET. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  24. "R.J. Decker: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
  25. "R.J. Decker: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  26. "Ratings - "R.J. Decker" Gets Down to Business with Over 11 Million Total Audience to Date for Series Debut | TheFutonCritic.com". The Futon Critic. March 10, 2026. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  27. Andreeva, Nellie (March 10, 2026). "'R.J. Decker' Scores ABC's Top 10 PM Drama Premiere In 5 Years". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 7, 2026.