When season 5 of 9-1-1 went on its winter hiatus, fans were still wiping away their tears after Eddie Diaz (played by Ryan Guzman) handed over his resignation letter. But while the hit Fox drama is on a break until the spring, the heartache continues in season 3 of its Austin-based spin-off, 9-1-1: Lone Star. Now, there’s news that the shows are also trying to work out a major obstacle in real life that has brought the 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star crossover episode to a halt.
In May 2021, 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star fans rejoiced when Fox announced that the two dramas were renewed for new seasons. What’s more, the network teased viewers to “keep an eye out for a crossover in the back half of the [TV] season” of 9-1-1: Lone Star. Unfortunately, this doesn’t sound like it will come to fruition due to “cast availability.”
Speaking with TV Insider, showrunner Tim Minear, who serves as the lead for both 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star, revealed that the Fox dramas have encountered several issues, which are ultimately are out of their control.
“It’s very difficult this year. There have been many challenges,” he told the outlet. “Last year, there was the challenge of initially just trying to make both shows during a worldwide pandemic. Well, that hasn’t changed.”
He continued: “We’re still making these shows during a worldwide pandemic, and there have been other complications, cast availability complications. I always try to facilitate for my cast when they want to—look, I’m gonna make sure Angela Bassett gets to be in Black Panther 2. There’s no way I’m not gonna make that happen.”
This doesn’t mean the special TV event won’t ever happen again. “I’m still hoping for some form of crossover, but the shows are pretty much gonna be living in their own universes this season it seems,” Tim said. “We’re not done, so it’s hard to know exactly.”
This would be the second crossover episode for 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star, the first one aired in February 2021. Although the delay is unfortunate, it makes sense. For nearly two years, TV shows have been navigating filming new episodes during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, much of Hollywood has found solutions for a safer work environment and handling positive COVID-19 cases, including mandating vaccines and taking shorter breaks from the set.
Just because fans might not get the special episode this season, it’s not a sign that the series isn’t brainstorming other ways to deliver exciting TV to fans. According to Deadline, Fox president of entertainment Michael Thorn has started talking about creating new 9-1-1 spin-offs, similar to CBS’s NCIS franchise and NBC’s Chicago franchise.
“If there’s a way where we could continue to build on the momentum and find another way to both preserve all these amazing qualities of the concept but differentiate it from 9-1-1 and Lone Star, we would absolutely consider that if and when the producers are ready,” he told the outlet.
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