The hit drama 9-1-1 is making moves, leaving Fox behind for a new home at ABC. The Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear procedural about Los Angeles first responders will continue for season 7 at its new home while 9-1-1: Lone Star was picked up for a fifth season and will remain at Fox.
9-1-1 has been one of the top shows at Fox since its premiere in 2018, leading to a spinoff, 9-1-1: Lone Star, that premiered in 2020. Though the shows will now be featured on different networks, which are both owned by Disney, they still share a production company in 20th Television.
Fox issued a statement wishing the 9-1-1 team well: "It's been an honor to be the founding network of 9-1-1 and we are grateful to Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, together with Angela Bassett, Peter Krouse, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Oliver Stark, Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi, Ryan Guzman and the rest of the cast and crew, and 20th Television for delivering such an impactful series to Fox. We wish them well after 9-1-1’s final Fox season concludes."
9-1-1 moves to ABC for season 7
Since 9-1-1 has always been a strong performer for Fox and its Monday night ratings, the decision to move networks seems to be linked to the cost of production; Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline all cited sources that confirmed episodes of 9-1-1 cost upwards of $9 million each, which is outside of Fox's budget.
With the move to ABC, the show will be able to continue and — hopefully — grow, which is particularly exciting given ABC's current track record with procedurals like Station 19 and The Rookie.
"Thanks to the creative drive of Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, as well as the talented cast, 9-1-1 has been one of the most defining and original dramas on network television over the past six seasons and we are honored to bring it to the esteemed group of series on ABC," said Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group in a statement. "It's a privilege to keep 9-1-1 in the family with 20th Television producing, and we look forward to telling more heart-racing and uplifting stories about these beloved characters on our air."
We don't know if 9-1-1 will keep it's Monday night airdate when it moves to ABC. If it does, it would pair it up with other hit ABC show The Good Doctor.
9-1-1: Lone Star to stay at Fox for season 5
As 9-1-1 heads to ABC, 9-1-1: Lone Star will remain at Fox for season 5. It's unclear whether the show will end up moving to Monday nights to take over the original series' time slot. It's also unclear whether Lone Star will switch its premiere date from midseason back to a fall premiere to help bolster Fox's fall lineup.
With both shows renewed and their futures secured, another lingering question is whether crossover events between the two are still possible given that the shows are no longer on the same network.
To date, there have been two crossover events between the shows, and Lone Star showrunner Minear hinted to TV Line that there could be some "cross-pollination” between the two in Lone Star season 4, which wraps up on May 16 with a two-hour season finale.
9-1-1 season 6 airs Mondays at 8 pm ET/PT and 9-1-1: Lone Star airs Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on Fox.
