The possibility of crossovers between the 9-1-1 shows gets a disappointing update from a leading Fox executive. In recent weeks, the first responder franchise got a massive update when it was announced that the original 9-1-1 series had been canceled at Fox and will move to a different network. 9-1-1 season 7 will now debut on ABC. As for the 9-1-1: Lone Star spinoff, it was renewed for season 5 and will continue to air on Fox. The decisions, which were the result of complicated and costly rights fees, added doubt to any future collaboration between the two popular dramas.
According to Deadline, the hit franchise was discussed as part of Fox’s pre-upfront press call on May 15. When it came to the possibility of any future crossovers between 9-1-1 and Lone Star, Fox Entertainment President Michael Thorn said that it would be “extremely unlikely.” In the quote below, Thorn discusses the difficulties of bringing the two shows together and acknowledges that crossovers were pretty rare even before the ABC move:
“Right now we’re really focused on our own schedule and how we look forward with our own series. We’re really proud of the 9-1-1 franchise and excited to announce another season of Lone Star. It’s really a standout series… and rest assured, we’re going to relaunch that show. It’s an important show to our audience, and we’re very excited to have it back. As far as crossovers go, crossovers have always been really hard on the 9-1-1 franchise because they’re such ambitious shows. We weren’t able to do it every year when they ran on the network.”
Why Fox Canceled 9-1-1 (But Not Lone Star)
The cancellation comes down to a question of ownership and cost. Disney’s 20th Television owns both 9-1-1 and its Lone Star spinoff. That factored into Fox’s decision to cancel 9-1-1. The network used to own the series prior to selling its television studio. Since then, it has been looking for ways to decrease its expenses. As it stands, Fox has to pay a licensing fee in order to air both the original 9-1-1 and the spinoff.
It’s been reported that, with broadcast ratings continuing to slide overall, Fox made the decision to part ways with 9-1-1 while keeping the spinoff. Even though 9-1-1 ranks as the top broadcast drama in the advertiser-focused 18-49 demographic, Fox paid more than $9 million per episode to air it. By contrast, Lone Star costs less. According to sources, the spinoff comes in at $6-$7 million per episode. Network CEO Rob Wade acknowledged the economics of it during the press call, saying in part, “The decision was made there that the business model wasn’t right for us, and that 20th would take the show back.”
There had only been a few crossovers within the 9-1-1 universe. One occurred in Lone Star’s second installment, which was a full-fledged disaster-centric event. Another happened in Lone Star season 3, with Angela Bassett’s character making an appearance. For the moment, it seems like any further collaborations are on pause.
Source: Deadline
