9-1-1: Lone Star's Return Makes Up For ABC's Biggest Missed Opportunity

Published Oct 3, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT Cher Thompson is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, where she covers everything from explosive reality TV moments to cast interviews about the twists and turns of scripted dramas. With a background in creative writing, marketing, and teaching, Cher knows how to spot both the storytelling genius and the guilty pleasures in pop culture. Her work blends wit with insight, making readers feel like they’re chatting with a friend who just happens to know way too much about TV. Despite spending five seasons establishing a distinctive team of first responders, 9-1-1: Lone Star concluded as the franchise entered a new phase and got the short end of the stick, but a potential return could make up for its loss. While it was a part of the original growth of the franchise, 9-1-1: Lone Star ended in early 2025 after Fox canceled the series, with the original show having moved over to ABC for its next stretch. With the original 9-1-1 thriving on its new network, Lone Star missed out on the opportunity to move forward with its parent franchise. The decision to move 9-1-1 from Fox to ABC didn't feel like it was going to do much for the show in the moment, and the fact that Lone Star was left out of the shift stung fans of the franchise. In retrospect, the fact that 9-1-1: Lone Star didn't get the opportunity to try things out on another network was the biggest disappointment in the move, especially knowing that the franchise has now expanded with 9-1-1: Nashville, as well. While the new series strengthened the franchise, the fact that it was at Lone Star's expense encroaches on the excitement. With 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Nashville in a good place with their runs on ABC, missed opportunities for the franchise's previous five-season show could be remedied in the coming TV season. 9-1-1 may treat its Lone Star heroes as a lasting part of the broader franchise universe sooner rather than later. 9-1-1: Lone Star Characters Are Poised For A Nashville Crossover ABC None of the stars from 9-1-1: Lone Star have been confirmed to be headed to another part of the franchise as of yet, but there are some strong indicators that there's a future for the characters on the franchise's current shows. With 9-1-1: Nashville showrunner Rashad Raisani, who had a major role in the creative work on 9-1-1: Lone Star, having spoken up about wanting to see Lone Star's characters connected to the broader franchise as it continues, it seems likely that some returns could happen as Nashville continues. Specifically, Raisani wanted to see the return of T.K. Strand's Carlos Reyes. With 9-1-1: Nashville season 2 set to include multiple crossover events, Raisani described the possibility of returning Lone Star characters as being "in the works in a big way" according to an interview with TVLine. The way Raisani has spoken about the returns feels like a clear indication that ABC will be making it possible for the franchise to revisit its Texas roots. With the groundwork laid during 9-1-1: Nashville season 1, when the show referenced Marjan Marwani through her online persona, Firefox, a connection between Nashville and Lone Star was created. Now, the franchise needs to follow through. ABC Never Made The Most Out Of The 9-1-1 Franchise When Lone Star Was Airing With ABC now the home of the 9-1-1 franchise, a crossover with the past and present shows seems more feasible than ever. During the franchise's years on Fox, the crossover events were minimal, which was often a sticking point with fans of the series. While 9-1-1: Lone Star aired for five seasons alongside the flagship show, during their time on the same network, the crossover events between the shows were minimal. The most substantial crossover occurred during season 2, when members of Los Angeles Firehouse 118 traveled to Texas to help battle a wildfire, but otherwise, interaction was incredibly limited. Interviews over the years cited logistical difficulties in building crossover events for the shows, but with the productions sharing creative elements, it felt like more of a cop-out than anything else when the lack of interaction was excused. When the 9-1-1 franchise moved to ABC and with the addition of Nashville, there's been a marked difference seeing the way the crossovers between the flagship show and Nashville have rolled out. With significant crossover integration almost immediately, the franchise has proved it missed out on opportunities with its first spinoff. Thankfully, 9-1-1: Lone Star may be getting a second chance. 9-1-1 TV Show(s) 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star, 9-1-1: Nashville First TV Show 9-1-1 Cast Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Oliver Stark, Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi, Rockmond Dunbar, Connie Britton, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ryan Guzman, Corinne Massiah, Marcanthonee Jon Reis, Gavin McHugh, John Harlan Kim Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Tim Minear Latest TV Show 9-1-1: Lone Star Upcoming TV Shows 9-1-1: Nashville