Is ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ Canceled? Everything We Know About The Fox Drama’s Future

With a successful Season 7 run on ABC and an early Season 8 renewal, Ryan Murphy’s hit first responder procedural 9-1-1 is thriving since its 2023 cancellation. Meanwhile, fans of Fox’s 9-1-1: Lone Star — set to air its fifth season in Fall 2024 — fear the spinoff series is barely surviving…

In recent days, speculation ran wild after fans learned that Sierra McClain — an original cast member who played 9-1-1 dispatcher Grace Ryder for 61 episodes — would not be returning as a series regular in Lone Star‘s fifth season. Following confirmation of McClain’s exit, Deadline reported “cast negotiation drama” that heavily suggested Season 5 may be Lone Star‘s last.

As Decider previously reported, 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s Robyn Lively also caused fans to question the fate of the series when she posted — and eventually deleted — the following message on social media: “So excited to be a part of @911lonestar’s final season!! What a ride it’s been!”

So is 9-1-1: Lone Star canceled or not? Will Season 5 be its last? When will the show return with new episodes? And what have stars and Fox execs said about the future of the series in recent weeks?

Here’s everything we know about the future of the 9-1-1 spinoff.

9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5 Release Date: When Does 9-1-1: Lone Star Return With New Episodes?

First things first: When can 9-1-1: Lone Star fans expect the confirmed, highly-anticipated fifth season of the series to premiere on Fox? As a reminder, 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s Season 4 finale aired in May 2023, and as a result of WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike delays, production on Season 4 was delayed.

More than a year later, we still don’t know an exact premiere date for 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5, but Deadline confirmed “production is currently underway on the 12-episode fifth season” and Fox announced that the drama will return in Fall 2024, set to air Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET on the network ahead of the new series, Rescue: Hi-Surf.

While we wait for more details on Season 5’s premiere, here’s what’s known about 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s future beyond its fifth season.

Is 9-1-1: Lone Star Canceled? Cast And Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade Weigh In

As of right now, no official decision on 9-1-1: Lone Star has been made on the series starring Rob Lowe, Gina Torres, Ronen Rubinstein, Jim Parrack, Natacha Karam, Brian Michael Smith, and more. While the series has yet to be canceled or renewed by Fox, because the speculation has been so strong in recent days, several cast members as well as Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade have spoken out on the fate of the series.

Rafael Silva and Ronen Rubinstein — who play fan-favorite couple Carlos and TK — posted messages to Instagram Stories on Monday, per Entertainment Weekly. “Wherever the ship sails, [I’m] grateful for the family I’ve created on this show,” Silva wrote. Rubinstein shared a headline that referenced the future of Lone Star, noting, “Nowhere in that article stated a certain fate for our show… But one thing I do know for certain is we will continue pouring our blood, sweat and tears into these last few episodes and deliver to you our most special season yet. I better see all of you in September.”

In May 2024, Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade told Deadline the network would ideally decide on a renewal after seeing Season 5 ratings. With production reportedly set to wrap on July 19, however, contracts will likely run out before getting extended, which could lead to a swifter decision.

Ahead of a Monday panel at the Banff World Media Festival, Variety reported that Wade directly weighed in the 9-1-1: Lone Star rumors, saying, “When you’re looking at a show that is doing great in the ratings, but it’s too expensive, you have to think well, is there opportunity to replace it with something with a with a more modern and dynamic business model that we could replace it with… In regards to 9-1-1: Lone Star, we’re seeing where that goes. Again, it’s a conversation between network and studio. Until we get to a point where we really know what’s happening with that show, we’re really excited about it in the fall. It’s great creative.”

So if 9-1-1: Lone Star does get the axe, could fans see it make the move to ABC like the original series? Everything is uncertain at the moment, but you might not want to get your hopes up…

Will 9-1-1: Lone Star Move To ABC If It’s Canceled?

When 9-1-1 was rescued by ABC in May 2023, Wade explained, “The economics weren’t going to pan out for this show for us… The decision was made there that the business model wasn’t right for us, and that 20th would take the show back.” So would a Lone Star pickup on top of a 9-1-1 pickup make financial sense?

While not as massive in scale or budget as 9-1-1, Lone Star still requires major network funds and support. As Deadline noted, “The economics of Lone Star are not great for 20th Television. As a broadcast series in Season 5, 9-1-1: Lone Star is deficit financed by the studio, with Fox, which doesn’t have ownership, paying a license fee, something the network has been willing to keep doing. That means that the Disney-owned 20th TV is covering ‘deficits’ in making the show, likely running in the seven figures per episode given Lone Star‘s scale.”

Wade also addressed 9-1-1‘s move to ABC on Monday, explaining, “I feel like we have a great relationship with Disney. Obviously, we’ve seen 9-1-1 move to ABC and we’re really proud of that show and that it’s doing well. If we were the studio for that show, and ABC had that show, I don’t think it would make economic sense for them either. I think it’s about how to make the economics of a show like that work. You have to both studio and network and distributor of it. I kind of understand that.”

So no, it’s not sounding great for 9-1-1: Lone Star at the moment. But Season 5 is still set to premiere this fall, so we’ll keep this post updated with any news regarding the future of the series.

9-1-1: Lone Star is currently available to stream on Hulu.