The new season of 9-1-1 is upon us, but season 7 of the popular television show looks a bit different from previous installments regarding its episode count and network. The procedural drama series, created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear, premiered on January 3, 2018, and ran for six seasons on Fox. The show chronicles the lives of first responders in Los Angeles, including paramedics, firefighters, police officers, and dispatchers. 9-1-1 has been praised for its dynamic cast, entertaining (although sometimes melodramatic) storylines, and enthralling action sequences, resulting in numerous renewals until 2023.
The cast of 9-1-1 season 7 includes:
- Angela Bassett as Athena Grant-Nash
- Peter Krause as Bobby Nash
- Oliver Stark as Evan “Buck” Buckley
- Aisha Hinds as Hen Wilson
- Kenneth Choi as Howard “Chimney” Han
- Jennifer Love Hewitt as Maddie Buckley
- Ryan Guzman as Eddie Díaz
- Gavin McHugh as Christopher Díaz.
Several cast members are returning for the new episodes, while some abandoned their series regular roles following the 9-1-1 season 6 finale, including Corinne Massiah as May Grant, Marcanthonee Jon Reis as Harry Grant, and John Harlan Kim as Albert Han. Nevertheless, the show must continue, and 9-1-1 season 7 begins with a three-episode event revolving around a deadly disaster on a cruise ship. Unfortunately, Athena and Bobby choose to go on a cruise for their honeymoon, but their plans are completely derailed when an explosion is set off onboard.
New Episodes Of 9-1-1 Air Thursday Nights At 8pm ET On ABC
Starting on March 14, 2024, ABC will release new episodes of 9-1-1 season 7 every Thursday at 8 pm ET. In total, the seventh season will contain 10 episodes, which is a significant step down from the normal 18-episode count. The last season of 9-1-1 that only featured 10 installments was the first, while all the rest had 18 (except for season 4’s 14-episode count due to delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic).
[Fox] ended 9-1-1 to cut costs, likely knowing ABC would continue the series as Disney owns both Fox and ABC.
The decrease in episodes for 9-1-1 season 7 is due to delays caused by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023. Several television shows shut down production from mid to late 2023 as writers and actors fought for reasonable pay, better working conditions, and more. Once the strikes ended, the 9-1-1 writers resumed planning season 7. But with limited time, they were forced to tell the new stories over the course of 10 episodes.
Why 9-1-1 Moved From Fox To ABC For Season 7
Some avid viewers of 9-1-1 might be confused as to why the procedural drama is now airing on ABC instead of Fox, and the answer is quite simple. Fox canceled 9-1-1 a few weeks before the season 6 finale aired on the network, and ABC instantly picked the show up and renewed it for season 7. However, Fox didn’t cancel 9-1-1 due to low ratings or any story-related reasons.
9-1-1: Lone Star season 5 won’t premiere until fall 2024 because of delays concerning the 2023 strikes.
The network ended 9-1-1 to cut costs, likely knowing ABC would continue the series as Disney owns both Fox and ABC. Fox had to pay a licensing fee to air both 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star at the same time. As a result, Fox executives decided to part ways with the original show and renew the spinoff for a fifth season.
Full 9-1-1 Season 7 Episode Schedule On ABC
9-1-1 fans waited a long time for new episodes, as the season 6 finale debuted in May 2023, so the season 7 premiere was undoubtedly highly anticipated. ABC released the intense season 7 premiere on March 14, 2024, with episode 2 dropping one week later. Based on the show’s schedule so far, the season seemingly won’t feature any breaks between episodes, meaning there might be a new installment every Thursday if the pattern continues. Nevertheless, once it’s over, viewers can start looking ahead to a potential eighth season of 9-1-1.
