It seems fans won’t have to wait quite as long as we originally expected for both the new season of 911 and the premiere of the franchise’s latest spinoff, 911: Nashville!
In a surprising announcement, ABC has decided to move up the premiere dates for its Thursday night dramas. Rather than holding 911, 911: Nashville, and Grey’s Anatomy for mid-October as originally planned, ABC has shifted up the premiere dates from Thursday, Oct. 16 to Thursday, Oct. 9. This means ABC’s Thursday night dramas will be coming a week earlier, which is sure to be music to fans’ ears.
Fans were shocked when it was announced that ABC would not be kicking off the new season of 911 and the debut season of its new offshoot until mid-October. While CBS has been known for debuting new seasons of its fall hits in October, ABC typically brings its biggest shows back by the end of September. Instead, ABC has opted to hold many of its scripted originals for October this year.
While we wish ABC’s scheduling change resulted in 911, 911: Nashville, and Grey’s Anatomy returning in September, we’ll happily take the updated Oct. 9 premiere date for the shows. One week can feel like an eternity when it comes to the world of TV, and we’ll be looking forward to watching the season premieres earlier in the month.
ABC’s move is one that makes sense in that by moving up the premieres of 911, 911: Nashville, and Grey’s Anatomy, the shows will no longer be premiering on the same night as CBS’s returning shows. Now, ABC’s dramas will get a one-week jump on returning CBS hits Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage, Ghosts, Matlock, and Elsbeth, which all return Oct. 16. The move is one that is sure to help the ratings of 911, 911: Nashville, and Grey’s Anatomy, as they’ll be airing opposite weaker competition.
When the 911 shows do return this fall, it’s going to usher in a new era for the franchise in a few ways.
From a scheduling standpoint, this will be the first time ABC will have two shows from the 911 franchise airing on the network. While 911: Lone Star’s final season was on air during the most recent season of 911, Fox remained home to the show through its conclusion. With 911: Nashville, ABC will have the chance to build its own franchise block and further establish the shared universe.
Season 9 also marks a season of change for 911 as it’ll be the show’s first season without Peter Krause, who exited the show in season 8. With Krause’s Captain Bobby Nash no longer running the 118 following his death in season 8, we’ll be seeing a new captain running the firehouse, and that change is sure to bring about new dynamics among the show’s characters.
Just how will the 118 move on in this new chapter? And how will 911: Nashville fit into the broader 911 franchise? We'll find out when 911 and 911: Nashville premiere on Thursday, Oct. 9 on ABC!
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