Fox drama series 911: Lone Star aired its Season 5 finale on Monday night (February 3) and fans were all broken up about it, but was it cancelled?
The show 911 spin-off was based in Austin, Texas, and showcased Rob Lowe as Captain Owen Strand and Gina Torres as Captain Tommy Vega. It premiered in January 2020 and recently wrapped up its fifth season.
Viewers were disappointed when Fox announced the cancellation of the series in September. The news left many feeling frustrated and let down, with some describing it as a “disappointing” decision.
According to showrunner Ryan Murphy in an interview with Variety, financial constraints played a significant role in the show coming to an end. Murphy acknowledged, “Sadly, we all love Lone Star, but the financials just didn’t work out.” He further explained, “It’s a Disney company airing on a Fox network, and the dynamics were not feasible. Nevertheless, we had a good run.”
Lowe, who not only starred in the series (alongside his son John Owen Lowe) but also served as an executive producer, shared that the cast and crew had anticipated the conclusion. “We all went into it pretty much knowing that it was going to be the last season, so that affected everything we did,” he told the outlet.
Reflecting on the series, he added, “We wanted to go out making our case for the value of shows like that, and I think we did a really good job. The stories that we were able to tell on a weekly basis in terms of the scope and scale — that’s probably the thing I’m the most proud of. They were truly like mini-movies every week.”
Despite the series’ conclusion, Murphy hinted that the 911 universe is far from over. He revealed that he and showrunner Tim Minear are already developing a new spin-off, with hopes to premiere it in 2026.
“Tim Minear and I are working on a new spinoff that we’re actually writing, and that we hope to get on the air next fall,” Murphy shared with Variety. “Now we’re going to launch a new show in a new city that I can’t name, but it’s fun.”
Details about the upcoming project remain scarce, but Deadline reported last October that Hawaii is among the locations being considered.
Minear also confirmed that, as of now, there are no plans to bring back characters from 911: Lone Star for the new series.
As for whether Lowe would reprise his role, the actor remains open to the possibility. “I never say never to anything. I learned that a long time ago,” he said.
“It’s always a function of, what’s the story, what’s the script, who’s doing it, how good is the show?” he continued. “Is it a cheaper, wannabe version, or is it going to continue to have the kind of production value hallmarks that we’re really proud of, that we did on our show?”
Ultimately, he left the door open, concluding, “Who knows? We’ll have to see what everything looks like.”
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