‘9-1-1’ Is Ryan Murphy’s Standout Show of 2024 (So Far)

If the first half of 2024 taught me anything about television, it’s to never underestimate the power of a long-running network procedural — in this case, the hit first responder drama, 9-1-1.

When FOX canceled Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear’s series in 2023 after six seasons, 9-1-1‘s fate seemed as bleak as one of its tragic disaster episodes. But ABC swooped in to save the day, bringing the 118 back for Season 7 with the promise of swanky debut season treatment. And boy did the network deliver.

The 10-episode season (an abbreviated run due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes) aired its finale on May 30, marking Murphy’s third project to conclude in the first half of 2024. Since January, the iconic creator also released the highly-anticipated second installment of his FEUD anthology series, along with the final half of American Horror Story‘s twelfth season. Both shows boasted star-studded casts, ambitious storylines, and histories of award-winning prestige. But in an unexpected twist, despite the buzzy buildup, American Horror Story: Delicate and FEUD: Capote Vs. The Swans were bested by Murphy’s broadcast underdog, 9-1-1.

With streaming viewership numbers kept close to the vest, Rotten Tomatoes ratings dependent on a variety of factors, and art being — you know! — subjective, it’s difficult to offer definitive proof of popularity or even success via audience metrics these days. But as someone who watched all three of Murphy’s 2024 releases (though I admittedly tapped out of AHS: Delicate after Episode 5 — forgive me Matt Czuchry!), I’m here to confidently crown 9-1-1 as the standout Murphy-verse show of the year so far. Before you dare question my taste, allow me to explain.

As someone with a generally low tolerance for on-screen terror, American Horror Story: Delicate was admittedly my first AHS experience. The Czuchry fan in me was instantly intrigued, and a stacked cast — including Emma Roberts, Cara Delevingne, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, and Kim Kardashian — convinced me to face my fears and give it a shot. To my surprise, as I timidly tuned in week after week, I found myself giggling instead of screaming. The tolerable terror levels were ideal for me, but seemed less than ideal for a show with “horror” in the title. Still, AHS: Delicate proved that Kim Kardashian is good at acting while opening new doors for her in Hollywood. It gave the world the cursed visual of Emma Roberts chomping down on a dead raccoon baby. It brought some of Murphy’s frequent collaborators, like Billie Lourd and Leslie Grossman, back to screen. And it led to his appearance on Season 4 of The Kardashians. Delicate had its pros, but compared to past AHS seasons, the 10 episodes ultimately fell short in the eyes of critics, with Decider arguing that the FX series might not have much of a future unless Murphy becomes more heavily involved.

Next up on our Murphy-verse retrospective? FEUD. After a critically-acclaimed debut season — centered on What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? co-stars Joan Crawford and Bette Davis — fans spent seven years hyping themselves up for Season 2, which adapted Laurence Leamer’s bestselling book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era. FX’s eight-episode limited series assembled an all-star cast of Tom Hollander, Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny, Calista Flockhart, Demi Moore, and Molly Ringwald. The second installment — written by Jon Robin Baitz and directed by Gus Van Sant, Max Winkler and Jennifer Lynch — featured powerhouse performances, including a final on-screen farewell to the late, great Treat Williams. Combined with lavish wardrobes and stunning production design, the series achieved a poignant execution. But critics had mixed feelings, with negative reviews calling it “a story without momentum,” “a dud,” and “a brisk, bitchy eight hours of bitter eye candy that feels like about 120 minutes of consequential content.“

Then, there was 9-1-1. As a longtime fan of what I consider a must-watch series, I’m not here to try to convince anyone that 9-1-1 is some underrated highbrow drama. With humor and wacky Murphy-esque emergencies weaved throughout, it’s been one of TV’s most bonkers shows (complimentary) since its 2018 premiere, but it also has a great deal of depth and fearlessly tackles serious topics. Following a cancelation, the 2023 strikes, and a make-it-or-break-it network change, 9-1-1 could have faded into obscurity. Instead, it continued to push the bounds of typical network procedural and returned palpably refreshed — a move that fans and stars alike attribute in part to ABC’s investment and returning showrunner Tim Minear.

“[Tim] did such a great job with this entire season. In Season 7 I think that we came back stronger than ever — coming out of the strike, as well,” 9-1-1‘s Peter Krause told Decider in an interview. “It was really nice to have this relaunch on ABC with these really strong 10 episodes.” Even returning guest star Brian Hallisay (aka Jennifer Love Hewitt’s IRL husband) noticed a difference since his Season 2 days, telling Decider, “This move to ABC has been amazing for the show. There’s a lot of great energy behind it, and they’ve certainly done an amazing job. The show is doing great. It’s been reinvigorated.”

In just 10 episodes, 9-1-1 Season 7 delivered an action-packed homage to The Poseidon Adventure, a special 100th episode Bachelor crossover event, a long-awaited and well-earned Buck bisexuality arc, a hospital wedding, a wild Vertigo-inspired twist, several surprise guest stars including Malcolm-Jamal Warner, crucial flashbacks to Bobby’s childhood, a near-fatal fire that destroyed Bobby and Athena’s house, and so much more. It covered impressive ground, driving cultural conversation week after week and successfully reestablishing relevancy seven seasons in, which is no easy feat. The series received an early Season 8 renewal from the network, proving itself worthy with a premiere that drew 13.5 million delayed viewers on ABC and Hulu — its best multi-platform total viewer and adults 18-49 ratings in over two years. And throughout the season, the majority of weekly same-day viewership numbers ranged from 4.2 to 5.5 million — ratings good enough to earn some love from Ryan Murphy Productions on Instagram.

9-1-1 may not be Murphy’s Emmy-winning show, and even fans had their Season 7 complaints. But I didn’t see musical icon Adele pausing her concert to shout out FEUD or AHS. Did you?

With a number of projects in the pipeline — including a second installment of his Monster true crime series, a new FX horror series, ABC’s Doctor Odyssey, and more — there’s still a chance that Season 7 of Murphy’s trusty network procedural will be dethroned. (Don’t forget, 9-1-1 Season 8 and 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 premiere this fall.) But as it stands so far, 9-1-1 is undoubtedly the show from Murphy’s current 2024 slate that made me most excited to watch TV and left me counting down the days until its return.

9-1-1, American Horror Story: Delicate, and FEUD: Capote Vs. The Swans are all available to stream on Hulu.