Why Fox Canceled 9-1-1 After 6 Seasons (& How It Got Saved)

It may not be as old as tried-and-true genre staples like Law & Order, but 9-1-1 is a rising star in the jam-packed world of primetime procedurals. Since its debut in 2018, the show has handily maintained a foothold as one of the top dramas. Even after eight seasons, Tim Minear and Ryan Murphy’s heart-pounding series has yet to lose its place among television’s top 30. So, fans may be surprised to learn that this beloved series almost ended in 2023.

After the show’s sixth season, its fate was up in the air. After the season’s final episode, on May 15, 2023, nobody was certain of when — or even if — the beloved members of Los Angeles’ Station 118 would return. While 9-1-1 eventually returned in 2024, its grim potential fate wouldn’t be entirely surprising. Companies have axed more popular shows. Behind-the-scenes budgetary concerns and executive meddling have doomed more than a few beloved media fixtures. Still, it would have been a shocking choice. Season 6 was easily among cable’s top 25 shows. So, what could have caused such a fuss?

ABC’s Acquisition of Fox Played a Big Role

• The sudden departure of the show’s original phone operator, Abbigail “Abby” Clark (Connie Britton), was always part of the plan as she joined the team for one season because she’s friends with series co-creator Ryan Murphy.

To truly understand the head-scratching decision, one must turn back the clock. A year before 9-1-1 debuted on Fox, in 2017, The Walt Disney Company acquired the network’s parent company, 20th Century Fox. The move further cemented Disney’s borderline monopolistic hold on American media by ceding control of Fox’s film and television studios. The year after 9-1-1’s debut, in 2019, the massive deal was officially completed.

The result was near-instantaneous. While 9-1-1’s fate wouldn’t be in jeopardy for another four years, the writing began appearing on the wall. Disney’s suits quickly pruned anything they deemed “unnecessary” or contradictory to their grand vision for the brand. Upcoming Fox productions, including Mouse Guard, were axed. Now, it should also be noted that producing shows like 9-1-1, with its grand spectacles and increasingly popular stars, isn’t exactly cheap.

In fact, the high costs doomed 9-1-1’s first spin-off, Lone Star, after just five seasons. Episodes cost millions of dollars to produce, and a tightly run ship like Disney will have some natural skepticism about such a project producing any returns. And a tiny fraction of those returns, thanks in part to 20th Century Fox’s minority stake in the show’s production, were being siphoned off. Conveniently, Fox decided the costs weren’t worth the revenue in 2023.

As the show’s sixth season wound down, fans were informed of the shocking news: Fox had canceled 9-1-1. Notably, the show still had a decent chokehold on primetime television. Both the fifth and sixth seasons ranked among television’s top 20 shows. And, in some ways, it’s an understandable sacrifice. Fox Television no longer owned the majority stake; the massive budget was likely eating into the studio’s already limited pockets.

ABC Saved 9-1-1 at the Last Minute

• 9-1-1’s ABC debut included a rather blatant shout-out to the show’s new owners. During its hundredth episode, “Buck, Bothered and Bewildered”, the 118 crew comedically stumbles onto the set of The Bachelor.

Fortunately for fans, 9-1-1 was spared the same fate as its sister series. ABC renewed the show and moved its next installment, Season 7, to its channel. The news was met with understandable praise and a pinch of skepticism. Buried beneath the excitement was a rumble of concern. Some wondered if 9-1-1 could survive and maintain its identity under new ownership. Only time will tell, but — minus Season 8’s highly controversial conclusion — it appears Minear and Murphy still have a considerable amount of control over the 118’s fate. Still, fans have tempered their expectations. Not everyone is entirely pleased with the show’s new direction.

On the business end of things, ABC’s renewal was essentially guaranteed. While Lone Star was popular, its costly star-studded cast and slightly lower ratings sent it to the chopping block. 9-1-1, meanwhile, remained — and, as of Season 8, still remains — a force to be reckoned with. Its considerable sway on the increasingly dwindling number of television viewers made it a promising opportunity for ABC, as did wholesale ownership of the show and its revenue.

9-1-1 Quietly Replaced a Canceled ABC Original

• While the show’s 2018 pilot drew a decently impressive 7.52 million domestic viewers, Station 19’s audience rapidly dwindled. By its final season, the show averaged just 2.45 million American viewers, under half of the 6.67 million tuning in to see 9-1-1’s Season 6.

Interestingly, 9-1-1’s jump to ABC also filled a Station 19-shaped hole in the primetime lineup. Like Fox’s show, the second of Grey’s Anatomy’s spin-offs pointed its lens towards firefighters and paramedics. Its episodes were packed with medical anomalies, large-scale disasters, and steamy romances. (It was a Grey’s spin-off, after all.) However, like 9-1-1, it incurred high costs and had a considerably smaller audience.

After occupying the latter hours of ABC’s primetime lineup for seven years, Station 19 bowed out on May 30, 2024, the same night as 9-1-1’s Season 7 finale. While the ending was a blow to fans, the addition to 9-1-1 gave Station 19 viewers another firefighter-centric drama to enjoy.