The hit spin-off 9-1-1: Lone Star was axed by Fox in September.
From all-star producer Ryan Murphy, 9-1-1: Lone Star is a spin-off to the popular 9-1-1.
The series follows Rob Lowe’s Owen Strand, a dedicated firefighter who leads a cast of brave men and women who serve the people of Austin, Texas. What is more, Lowe is an executive producer on 9-1-1: Lone Star.
Why Is 9-1-1: Lone Star Ending with Season 5?
In September, it was announced that 9-1-1: Lone Star, Fox’s much-watched first responder procedural would come to a close after its fifth season.
But why would the network choose to cancel such a beloved series? Well, as these types of decisions often come down to, it was ultimately a money matter.
Producer Ryan Murphy spoke to Variety on Lone Star’s cancellation:
"Sadly, we all love 'Lone Star,' but the financials just didn’t work. It’s a Disney company that was on a Fox network, and it just was never going to work. And we had a long run of it. So now we’re going to launch a new show in a new city that I can’t name, but it’s fun. And '9-1-1' moved to ABC and suddenly became, I think, the biggest show on Thursday night. They obviously have an appetite for that, so we’re going to give them another one that I really love."
Indeed, the mothership 9-1-1 program began its televised life on Fox, but notably shifted over to ABC before the start of its current season, leaving its sister series, 9-1-1: Lone Star behind on Fox.
Die-hard fans can take solace in the fact that, although Lone Star is ending, a brand new 9-1-1 program is in the works. Murphy also revealed that this next 9-1-1 show is one that "[they] hope to get on the air next fall."
According to Deadline, 9-1-1: Lone Star does not come with as high a production price tag as the original 9-1-1 (Angela Bassett cannot be cheap) it still costs more to make than Fox is willing to spend. The outlet noted that Fox likes to aim for about $3-4 million an episode for its dramas, which Lone Star has exceeded.
On top of that, since Fox does not own Lone Star (it belongs to Disney and ABC) it is paying a presumably hefty licensing fee to broadcast it. And despite Fox’s willingness to continue paying that fee, Disney has been footing the bill for the cost gap between the licensing fee and producing the program.
The end result is something that just does not feel sustainable for any party. Fox attempted to eke out an abbreviated final season for 9-1-1: Lone Star with 18 episodes, but was capped at a 12-episode final run.
When Will 9-1-1: Lone Star’s Series Finale Air?
Unfortunately for viewers, the final episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star is fast approaching. The last episode ever is slated to release on February 3, 2025.
9-1-1 on ABC shows no signs of slowing down, and with another spin-off in the pipeline, audiences should have plenty of the franchise coming up. Hopefully, this will dull the sting of losing Lone Star.
As for 9-1-1: Lone Star’s conclusion, many have speculated that Owen could wind up leaving Texas and moving on to greener pastures. Specifically, in a recent episode, Owen was offered the very prestigious promotion of Fire Chief in his old stomping grounds of New York City.
Lone Star, which has seen its fair share of cast departures over the years, won’t continue past the point of Owen leaving the series. But devotees will need to keep tuning in to 9-1-1: Lone Star to see how things shake out for him and the rest of 126 as the show begins to cycle down to its conclusion.
9-1-1: Lone Star will return midseason on Fox starting on January 20, 2025.
