8 Best New City Options For 9-1-1’s Second Spinoff

The 9-1-1 franchise is expanding with the addition of another spinoff that will be set in a different city, but its location hasn’t been confirmed, as of the writing of this article. As fans know, the original TV series, 9-1-1, takes place in Los Angeles, California. Meanwhile, the first spinoff, 9-1-1: Lone Star, is set in Austin, Texas. It stands to reason that the events of the new 9-1-1 spinoff in development will transpire in a city that could bring something new to the franchise, meaning places in California and Texas are likely out of the question.

Ryan Murphy and Tim Minear, the co-creators of 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star alongside Brad Falchuk, are developing the second 9-1-1 spinoff. While speaking to Variety, Murphy revealed that he and Minear are working hard to get the new show ready to premiere by the fall of 2025 on ABC. Based on Murphy’s comments, they have already chosen the 9-1-1 spinoff’s location but can’t disclose it (yet). He called it “fun,” though. Murphy is seemingly excited about expanding the universe after the original series found a lot of success once 9-1-1 moved from Fox to ABC.

8. Honolulu

Shortly following the announcement of the upcoming series, Hawai’i was reportedly one of the first potential locations for the 9-1-1 spinoff. Based on statements from anonymous sources, Deadline claimed Hawai’i was a leading contender for the new show’s location. Since ABC hasn’t greenlit the spinoff yet, this rumor was never officially confirmed. But, a TV series about first responders in Hawai’i (most likely in Honolulu on the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i’s most populous city) is intriguing.

Hawai’i would certainly be a change of scenery for the 9-1-1 universe, with its volcanic setting and warm climate bringing about different emergencies. However, fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about the franchise moving to this tropical location. For starters, filming in Hawai’i is quite expensive — a large budget was one of the reasons why CBS canceled NCIS: Hawai’i. 9-1-1 executive producer Rashad Raisani’s comments during an interview with TheWrap also suggest that Hawai’i (home to other shows such as Rescue: HI-Surf, Hawai’i-Five-0, NCIS: Hawai’i, etc.) might be off the table. When asked about the new spinoff’s location, Raisani revealed:

“We wanted to find a city that also wasn’t so well known by other TV franchises. With Seattle, you’re looking at the Grey’s Anatomy universe, and with Chicago, you’ve got the Dick Wolf universe. So we did a lot of strategizing about a city that, hopefully, is exciting in concept, but not so well known by many other TV shows and franchises. I think that the veil will come off of that pretty soon.”

7. Boston

With Seattle, Chicago, and possibly Hawai’i off the table regarding the 9-1-1 spinoff’s location, perhaps the producers will want to head east for the show. For example, Boston, Massachusetts, could be a fantastic city to join the franchise. A handful of characters from 9-1-1 are tied to Boston, after all. Eli Cobb, the firefighter paramedic who took Chimney under his wing during his early days at Station 118, works in Boston. Mac Brandt’s character appeared in the flashbacks of season 2, episode 12, “Chimney Begins,” and he returned in 9-1-1 season 5 when Chimney traveled to Boston to find Maddie.

It just makes sense for the producers to choose Boston as the spinoff’s location. They already have an established character working there, and the city has connections to Maddie and Chimney after season 5. It’s unlikely that Maddie and Chimney will move to Boston before 9-1-1 season 8 ends so that the spinoff can revolve around them, but the producers can bring Brandt back as Eli for the spinoff.

6. Las Vegas

The Deadline report about Hawai’i being a frontrunner for the new 9-1-1 spinoff’s location also mentioned that Las Vegas, Nevada, was a possibility. In their words, it was “emerging as a favorite” among the producers. Since then, there has been no more news concerning whether Las Vegas is a strong contender for the 9-1-1 spinoff, but it should be.

Of course, one of the biggest procedurals in TV history (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) took place in Las Vegas. However, by the time the second 9-1-1 spinoff premieres, it will have been 10 years since CSI ended, meaning Las Vegas might be able to bypass the producers’ rule about the city not being well known by other TV franchises. Plus, CSI and 9-1-1 are very different shows. The producers could easily get away with moving the franchise to Las Vegas, and the location might even be able to pull in new viewers who loved CSI back in its heyday.

5. Detroit

If Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear, and the rest of the 9-1-1 producers want to take the franchise in a completely new direction, they should consider heading to a city in the Midwest, like Detroit, Michigan. Aside from Chicago, the Midwest typically doesn’t get much love from Hollywood. However, the region contains a large part of the country’s population and can be more exciting than it initially seems. The Midwest also has a completely different climate compared to southwestern California and Texas, meaning it could add the variety the producers want to the 9-1-1 universe.

If ABC wants to explore the Midwest in the 9-1-1 franchise but doesn’t want the show to be full of corn fields and farms, Detroit would be the perfect balance. It has freezing weather that could lead to intriguing (fictional) disasters. However, Detriot is also a bustling city full of life and personality (and hasn’t been the setting for any popular procedural TV series), making it a great possibility for the 9-1-1 spinoff after 9-1-1: Lone Star ends. Plus, Detroit is right across the river from Canada, which opens the door to a wide variety of different stories.

4. Twin Cities

In a similar vein to Detroit, the Twin Cities in Minnesota could be an unexpected, but welcome location for the upcoming 9-1-1 spinoff. The Twin Cities, the name for the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, certainly haven’t been featured much on TV, bringing a freshness not only to the 9-1-1 universe but also to network TV in general. Minneapolis–Saint Paul might not be the first location some would think of when brainstorming ideas for 9-1-1: Lone Star‘s replacement spinoff. However, it could be just what the franchise needs.

Like Detroit, the Twin Cities allow some variety concerning weather. Since the climate has contributed to some of 9-1-1‘s most intense disasters, like the tsunami in 9-1-1 season 3 or the ice storm in 9-1-1: Lone Star season 3, the producers of the new spinoff should be considering weather when discussing possible locations. Consequently, the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area should be a contender.

3. Tampa

If the 9-1-1 spinoff’s producers don’t want to bring the franchise to the Midwest, maybe they’ll consider the Southeast. A countless number of shows have taken place in Miami, Florida (like CSI: Miami). Tampa, Florida, on the other hand, isn’t typically a hotspot for TV series or movies. However, Tampa is a big enough city to warrant a show taking place there, and its location opens the door to numerous emergencies the spinoff could cover, from hurricanes to shark attacks.

Tampa would certainly allow the 9-1-1 franchise to explore different stories once 9-1-1: Lone Star ends. Perhaps its beachy setting might be too similar to Los Angeles in 9-1-1. The climates of the two cities are still completely different, and the atmosphere in Florida cannot be compared to California’s, allowing room for variation in the fictional TV universe.

2. Denver

Maybe ABC will want the 9-1-1 producers to avoid the Midwest and Southwest altogether and pick a more mountainous setting for the new spinoff. Consequently, Denver, Colorado, would be their best option. Denver, home to over 700,000 people, is a city surrounded by mountains, which could be an intriguing and distinct setting for the 9-1-1 spinoff.

Like many of the other potential cities regarding the new 9-1-1 spinoff, Denver unlocks various options for the TV franchise. The Colorado city’s climate, culture, setting, and more make it an intriguing choice to be the home of the third series in the 9-1-1 universe. Once 9-1-1: Lone Star ends after season 5, Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear, and the other producers should consider the different stories Denver could bring to the franchise and how it could be the perfect city for the spinoff.

1. Anchorage

If Ryan Murphy and Tim Minear want to completely change the 9-1-1 franchise, they could head to Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska obviously features a completely different climate compared to Los Angeles and Austin, and it’s one of the many places in the United States that Hollywood tends to ignore. However, almost 300,000 people live in Anchorage, and the city and its surroundings are quite beautiful. So, Anchorage might be the ideal location for the upcoming 9-1-1 spinoff.

Alaska also allows the writers and producers to create characters who are completely different from those in 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star. The state’s culture and living conditions vary quite a lot from California’s and Texas’. As a result, Alaska could add a lot of diversity to the 9-1-1 universe. Alaska’s unique daylight hours schedule would also be a fun challenge for the 9-1-1 franchise to take on (along with its cold climate, of course).