ABC has finally set the 911 season 9 premiere date, and let’s just say fans aren’t going to be happy with the network’s scheduling decision.
For the first time since 911 moved to the fall schedule, the new season of the beloved first responder drama will not be kicking off in September. Instead, ABC had decided to hold the season 9 premiere for mid-October. That’s right, I said mid-October.
In an unexpected scheduling move, ABC has revealed the ninth season of 911 will kick off on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 8/7c. That same night will also bring with it the series premiere of the new 911 offshoot, 911: Nashville, as well as ABC’s longest-running primetime drama, Grey’s Anatomy. The trio of dramas will be the final shows on ABC’s fall 2025 lineup to kick off their seasons in the fall, marking an unexpected change to ABC’s approach to its lineup.
While it’s not uncommon for the fall shows to come back in waves, ABC typically kicks off its fall season within the final weeks of September, with most of its biggest shows arriving in the final week of the month. This was the cast in 2024, which saw 911, Grey’s Anatomy, and Doctor Odyssey all arrive on Sept. 26.
It’s unclear why ABC has opted not to bring 911 back until October this year, and we have to wonder if perhaps the move will impact the number of episodes we get this fall.
Last year, ABC chose to air the first eight episodes of the season in the fall, with 911 season 8 signing off the air with its fall finale on Nov. 21. The show then took a long hiatus before returning in March 2025 with its final 10 episodes airing with little interruption.
If ABC aims to wrap the show’s fall episodes before the Thanksgiving holiday again this year, that means there is a chance that only 6 episodes will air in the fall. On the flip side, this could mean ABC will air a few new episodes in early December in a push to bring fans close to half of the season in the fall before the show takes its usual extended winter break.
Regardless of how the schedule ends up shaking out, at least we now know when we can look forward to our first new episode of the season. It’s a season that is sure to bring about a lot of change for the long-running show as season 9 marks the show’s first season without Peter Krause’s Captain Bobby Nash, following the character’s death in season 8.
Fans are eager to see what this new chapter will look like for 911, and the show is sure to go through some growing pains as it navigates its first season without Bobby. While there is no doubt we’ll miss Bobby’s presence on the show, we are excited to see what the writers come up with and where they’ll take the returning cast this season!
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