Jensen Ackles has stayed plenty busy in the years since Supernatural ended with shows like Big Sky and The Boys. Next up he'll star in the action-packed Amazon show Countdown, releasing on June 25.
Apparently, his 12-year-old daughter, Justice, who he shares with wife Danneel Ackles, is eager to watch the series, but Ackles told her it is a lot different from what she's used to. The actor pointed out that the pre-teen is very invested in the ABC drama The Rookie and made it clear to her that Countdown is "not nearly as soapy" via E! News.
The Rookie is advertised as an action police procedural and crime drama so it's not actually a soap opera and the fact that Ackles refers to it as soapy could be taken as a slight dig, since people generally use the term when acknowledging a show's melodramatic moments and The Rookie does have a lot of those. The Rookie plays up its comedic and dramatic moments while delving into the personal lives of its characters more than a show like, say, Law & Order.
I don't think Ackles meant it in a mean way, but just wanted to clarify to his daughter why his new series, which he says has "a lot more action" than the ABC show, might not be what she expects.
All of that being said, Ackles appears to find Justice's love of The Rookie quite endearing. He even set up a special birthday call for her from series star Nathan Fillion. Not only did Fillion send Justice a personalized birthday video, but he also got the rest of the cast to send them, too.
"He got the entire cast to send individual ‘Happy Birthdays.’ So that’s about the best gift a father could have given. And it cost me a phone call—so it was free," Ackles told the outlet.
Countdown has a mature rating because it contains violence, sexual content, foul language, alcohol use, and substance use. Because it's on a streaming service and not broadcast television, the creators aren't beholden to the same television standards.
In short, Countdown is probably going to have significantly more adult content than The Rookie. He even tells E! that his twins, Zeppelin and Arrow, are "probably a little too young" for this one, though he suspects Justice will end up watching it anyway.
Ackles plays LAPD detective Mark Meachum, who is hired to work as part of a covert task force and hunt down the murderer who killed a Department of Homeland Security officer in plain sight. But as the search begins, they soon learn that a much darker conspiracy is at play than anyone could have anticipated.
Countdown also stars Jessica Camacho, Eric Dane, Violett Beane, Uli Latukefu, and Elliot Knight, and premieres on Prime Video on June 25. The Rookie will return for its eighth season next year.