Ryan Murphy opens up about the cancellation of9-1-1: Lone Star. The9-1-1spinoff starring Rob Lowe debuted in 2020 on Fox, focusing on the stories of first responders in Austin, Texas. Though the flagship series recently debuted its eighth season and will continue on ABC, where it moved after Fox cancelled it,9-1-1: Lone Starseason 5will be the show’s last. It just premiered on September 23 and will be comprised of 12 episodes, featuring the return of longtime cast members including Lowe, Ronen Rubinstein, Jim Parrack, Natacha Karam, Brian Michael Smith, Rafael L. Silva, and Julian Works.
When speaking withVariety, Murphy, who created both9-1-1andLone Staralongside Tim Minear and Brad Falchuk, commented on the reasons behind the beloved show’s cancelation, alluding to financial difficulties. He explained thatthese complications arose from the fact that “it’s a Disney company that was on a Fox network.“Though the franchise will continue on with the original show and an in-the-works spinoff set in a “new city,” which Murphy revealed in the same conversation,Lone Star’s end sounds like it was inevitable. Read Murphy’s full quote below:
Sadly, we all love ‘Lone Star,’ but the financials just didn’t work. It’s a Disney company that was on a Fox network, and it just was never going to work. And we had a long run of it. So now we’re going to launch a new show in a new city that I can’t name, but it’s fun.
What This Means For The 9-1-1 Franchise
The Loss Of Lone Star Is Rough, But The Franchise Has A Future
Thedecision to cancel9-1-1: Lone Starseems to be part of a larger trend ofTV networks reassessing long-running shows amid shifts in streaming competition and budget constraintsin spite of their popularity or artistic success. For instance,Lone Starhad carved out its own identity by focusing on Austin-based emergency responders, and the dynamic interplay between the original9-1-1and its spinoff helped solidify both. Over the course of its run,LoneStarhas explored stories about grief, mental health, family dynamics, and social justice, giving it an extra layer of depth beyond its explosive rescue scenes.
Although Lone Star is ending, Murphy’s reveal that another 9-1-1 spinoff is in the works ensures the franchise will continue, and it could even find opportunities to bring back various Lone Star characters.
However, despite its popularity, different factors may have contributed to the show’s ending. Ratings in the later seasons, while solid, were not as strong as earlier on, andrising production costs, especially with the elaborate stunt work and special effects, could have played a partin the decision to cancel the show. AlthoughLone Staris ending, Murphy’s reveal that another9-1-1spinoff is in the works ensures the franchise will continue, and it could even find opportunities to bring back variousLone Starcharacters.
The Age Of Television Partnerships Is Winding Down
9-1-1: Lone Star Is Another Casualty Of Diminishing Budgets And Red Tape
As Murphy points out, in addition to the general financial woes that tend to strike long-running television shows, one major issue with the continuation of9-1-1: Lone Starwas the fact that it was a show split between two different companies. 20th Television is now a division of Disney Television Studios, whereas the show aired on the Fox network, which was not bought in Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Studios. The corporate red tape involved in the acquisition meant that the rights to the show involveda more complicated and costly licensing deal than a home-grown Fox show would have.
9-1-1: Lone Staris a production of ReamWorks, Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision, Ryan Murphy Television, 20th Century Fox Television, and 20th Television.
The modern television age has seen many networks tightening their belts and limiting their partnerships with other networks or studios to save money. One major case study for this has been The CW, which was acquired by Nexstar after being put on the market by their parent company, which resulted in amass cancellation of CW shows in 2022.The majority of those shows were properties licensed from elsewhere, with only the most popular and lucrative properties allowed to continue for another season.
Our Take On The Future Of 9-1-1
It’s An Opportunity To Explore Other Stories
Murphy seems excited about bringing a new9-1-1story to the screen, so although fans might be disappointed, this does not mean that the9-1-1universe is coming to an end. The spinoffcould mean the beginning of a new era. This time, with ABC’s partnership, the spinoff might be able to attract new viewers by portraying new stories, and it will hopefully match the success of the original show. The end of9-1-1: Lone Staris certainly a blow, particularly because of the financial reasons for its cancellation, but there could be a bright future ahead for the franchise.
Although the show is ending,there is still much more to goas it approaches the series finale. For a taste of what is to come, watch the9-1-1: Lone Starseason 5 trailer.
Although it is possible that some departing characters could appear in the upcoming spinoff,one return that seems unlikely is Sierra McClain’s Grace Ryder, who exited the series after season 4. Read ‘s9-1-1: Lone Starexithere.
Though the show is ending,the characters are continuing to grow. This includes anew role for9-1-1: Lone Star’s Wyatt(Jackson Pace), who is taking over for Grace as dispatcher this season.
9-1-1: Lone Star
Cast
A spin-off series of 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star is an action-drama series created for Fox. The series follows Rob Lowe as Owen Strand, a firefighter from New York City who, after having rebuilt a team in the aftermath of September 11th’s attacks, is brought in to form a new one in Austin, Texas.
