Why has 9-1-1: Lone Star been canceled after Season 5? Details explored

Since it first hit our screens back in January 2020, 9-1-1: Lone Star has become a show that people love to watch. It's about the world of Fire Captain Owen Strand (played by Rob Lowe) and his crew at Firehouse 126 in Austin, Texas. They deal with issues on the job and in their personal lives, and it's been a rollercoaster.

But, surprise! FOX decided to pull the plug on it after five seasons. The show's going to wrap up with 9-1-1: Lone Star Season 5, which is now set to be the last one. Now, why would they do that, you ask? Well, it turns out it's all about the finances.

CBR reports that FOX looked at the numbers and realized it just wasn't making the kind of money they wanted it to and cited:

“The changing economics of the TV business.”

9-1-1: Lone Star was one of the last ones that 20th Television had a piece of before Disney bought them in 2019, which made keeping it going a bit of a headache under FOX's watch.

Things got even trickier when Sierra McClain, who played the much-loved Grace Ryder, decided to leave. Without her, the story wasn't the same, and trying to keep everything making sense got harder.

Fans weren't happy, and there were discussions about loose ends, hoping that maybe ABC or another channel would step in and give the show a new home.

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The impact of changing TV economics on 9-1-1: Lone Star

The TV world has been changing a lot, and it affected whether 9-1-1: Lone Star stayed on the air. After Disney bought 20th Television in 2019, FOX didn't own the show with anyone else, which made it cost a whole lot more to make.

Now, expensive drama shows like 9-1-1: Lone Star and its offspring are having a hard time because there's so much cheaper shows to watch. Even though lots of people kept watching the show, especially during its season 5, the folks in charge said it just wasn't making enough cash to keep going. Sure, more viewers usually mean more money, but making shows about first responders isn't cheap.

This situation is kind of like what happened to the original 9-1-1 show. FOX decided not to keep that one in 2023, but then ABC came along and saved the day. But it doesn't look like 9-1-1: Lone Star will get that lucky break. So, fans who loved the show will have to say goodbye, which is sad after following it for years.

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What can fans expect from 9-1-1: Lone Star’s final episodes?

As we get closer to the end of the season, viewers can expect a closure and drama, like The Last of Us meets Chornobyl, according to Rashad Raisani, the show's creator. It looks like our heroes are going to deal with a huge asteroid problem in Austin, which is the kind of thing that happens on 9-1-1: Lone Star.

Now, some fans were hoping to see Sierra McClain come back as Grace, but Raisani told TVLine that she won't be returning for the final episodes.

So, it's a sad goodbye for her character. But the show's team has been working hard to make sure everyone else gets a proper ending that feels right for their story. It's a bit of a sad goodbye, but it'll be worth watching.

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These last few episodes will air on Mondays at 8/7c on FOX, and you can stream them the next day on Hulu.

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