Sadly, it has officially been confirmed that 911: Lone Star is coming to an end after five seasons on FOX. The spinoff to 9-1-1 was rumored to be concluding but now it is official. Starring Rob Lowe, the series followed firefighters in Austin, Texas and did feature one crossover episode with the show that jumpstarted the spin-off.
Fans had been wondering about the state of the show since the exit of actress Sierra McClain, who played dispatcher Grace Ryder, whose husband Judd (Jim Parrack) is a firefighter with the 126. This came after contract renegotiations had stalled and the rest of the cast began to look into other forms of work.
In Grace’s absence, it was revealed that her stepson, Wyatt Harris, would be stepping up as a dispatcher in her place. In fact, actor Jackson Pace was upped to series regular for season 5. It’s not yet known how Grace will be written off the show.
Per Deadline, Lone Star is unlikely to move to ABC like its predecessor. FOX canceled 9-1-1 after six seasons, but the show was picked up by ABC and is going into season 8. Lone Star will premiere its final season on Monday, Sept. 23 at 8/7c and is expected to run for a final 12 episodes.
What went into the decision to cancel 911: Lone Star?
The decision to cancel ultimately came down to economics, as FOX pays a licensing fee for the series and it cost more money to make. Disney-owned 20th TV was bridging the gap for the licensing fee and the cost of the show’s production, but it still created a deficit.
When the show returns for season 5, it will find Lowe’s Captain Owen Strand and Captain Tommy Vega (Gina Torres) working with the team to come to the aid of victims in the wake of a train derailment. Promos for the opener have shown that multiple of their own will likely be in danger.
The series also stars Natacha Karam, Ronen Rubenstein, Julian Works, Brianna Baker, Rafael Silva, and Brian Michael Smith.
911: Lone Star Season 5 premieres on Monday, Sept. 23 at 8/7c on FOX.