Why is 9-1-1 Lone Star ending with season 5? Explained
9-1-1 Lone Star, an American procedural series, is set to end with season 5. The reason behind the cancellation is that the financials for producing this TV show are not working for Disney and Fox. The first responder drama show premiered in January 2020 and is set to air its series finale in early 2025.
9-1-1 Lone Star airs on Fox but the show is produced by Disney. Therefore, Fox has to buy the rights to air the show. The network was willing to pay the license fee to air the series since viewership was strong. However, producing the show costs an estimated between three to four million per episode, according to a report by Deadline.
All this means that producing the show is an expensive endeavor. Additionally, Disney has been running a deficit by paying for the gap between the cost of the license fee and producing the TV show.
9-1-1 Lone Star’s end not out of the blue
The fact that the show is ending does not come as a surprise since reports of its demise were circulating on the internet. As per a report by Deadline, the main cast already knew that the show was coming to an end after being a part of two unsuccessful attempts at contract negotiations.
Read more: Is Gina Torres leaving 9-1-1: Lone Star? Why fans think so
A few cast members exited the series, most notably Sierra McClain who essays the role of Grace Ryder, a 9-1-1 operation on the Fox show.
However, fans have a reason to celebrate: Executive producer Ryan Murphy and Tim Minear are working on a new spin-off of the show that will be set in a new location. Representatives of the show have not yet shared with fans information about the new location. The new show is still in the works.
Speaking to Variety, Ryan Murphy said,
“Tim Minear and I are working on a new spinoff that we’re actually writing, and that we hope to get on the air next fall. 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.”
Despite being an expensive show to produce, 9-1-1 Lone Star performed quite well in terms of total viewership. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it performed well across its previous four seasons in the adults 18-49 years old category, ranked only behind its parent show 9-1-1. It is one of the top 10 dramas in the 18-49 demographic and averaged 9.6 million viewers across its network and multiple streaming platforms.
Read more: Everything you need to know about 9-1-1 Lone Star season 5 finale
About 9-1-1 Lone Star
9-1-1 Lone Star is a show set in Texas and revolves around the lives of first responders. The show highlights the incidents that they respond to and explores their personal life challenges. It is a spin-off of its parent show 9-1-1.
The series stars Rob Lowe as Owen Strand, a firefighter and captain from New York City. He relocates to Austin, Texas, along with his son Tyler Kennedy Strand (also called TK). Tyler, played by Ronen Rubinstein, is a recovering opioid addict. The show also stars Gina Torres as paramedic Tommy Vega. She is the paramedic captain at station 126 in Austin.
Lowe’s character sets up station 126 in Austin, after rebuilding his firefighting team in New York.
The final season is set to air 12 episodes.
Read more: 9-1-1 Lone Star season 5 episode 6 ending explained
