9-1-1 viewers were terribly shocked in April when beloved lead character Bobby Nash (played by actor Peter Krause) was suddenly killed off. Some fans were impressed, some were furious — but everyone could agree that the scene had gotten people talking. Now the president of ABC is revealing that the buzz from Bobby’s death helped set the tone for upcoming spinoff 9-1-1: Nashville. Craig Erwich spoke to Deadline about the dramatic death and why it had to happen. “As a viewer, it was incredibly emotional. [Bobby]’s a beloved character, and there was so much grist for the mill for [actor] Angela Bassett, who I thought gave such an incredible performance in both the episode where he died and the funeral,” Erwich said.
If you’ve been a longtime fan of the 9-1-1 series, you probably remember the gut punch that came when Bobby Nash died. It was raw. It was emotional. And let’s be real—it didn’t seem necessary at first. But according to the top brass at ABC, Bobby’s heartbreaking exit wasn’t just for drama’s sake—it was the spark that ignited an entirely new franchise: 9-1-1: Nashville.
Bobby’s death has hung over the 9-1-1 characters for multiple episodes. The event happened in “Lab Rats,” when the team became trapped in a lab researching a terrible virus. Both Bobby and Chimney (Kenneth Choi) became infected. Bobby deliberately didn’t tell anyone about his status, so that the only cure could go to Chimney instead. He died in front of his wife Athena (played by Bassett), devastating her as well as the audience.
Erwich is now looking to duplicate that attention-grabbing storytelling in the spinoff. He explained, “Ultimately, it’s about the creative, and it was a decision that [showrunner] Tim Minear came to us with, and we supported him, as we always do. It was a really great night of television that created a massive amount — not just a viewing, but really social conversation. And I think it’ll give us a lot of momentum going into Thursdays next year. And [the original series will] be a great lead-off for 9-1-1: Nashville, which will be a huge priority for us.” “[The original series will] be a great lead-off for 9-1-1: Nashville, which will be a huge priority for us.”
Little is known about 9-1-1: Nashville so far, but Erwich believes it will open with a bang. “I think that the 9-1-1 team are truly the masters of event-izing television, the way that bee-nado kicked off 9-1-1 last year,” Erwich said. “They have a really special event planned for 9-1-1: Nashville.” Bobby Nash’s death crushed us—but in a strange way, it gave us something even more powerful. A new city. A new story. A new heartbeat. 9-1-1: Nashville isn’t just a spin-off. It’s a resurrection born out of grief, purpose, and a whole lot of heart. And if you’re still mourning Bobby? Don’t worry—his legacy isn’t over. It just changed its ZIP code.
