Chicago Med Showrunners Diane Frolov And Andrew Schneider Tease Season 9's New Beginnings - Exclusive Interview
As "Chicago Med" enters its ninth season, the series is left with just three original cast members who have been part of the show since the very beginning. Marlyne Barrett (who plays Maggie Lockwood), Oliver Platt (Dr. Daniel Charles), and S. Epatha Merkerson (Sharon Goodwin) remain after Nick Gehlfuss, who portrayed Dr. Will Halstead, exited at the end of the previous season. Also on board since the start are writers and executive producers Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, married collaborators who share an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for their work on the quirky 1990s dramedy "Northern Exposure" and whose credits have also included "The Sopranos" and "Boardwalk Empire."
The pair can be credited with helping make "Chicago Med" the long-running success that it is, expertly weaving characters in and out of the continuously evolving storyline. However, Season 9, which premieres tonight on NBC, has posed a unique challenge for them. For the first time in the series, the season's episode number shrunk to 13 because of the writers' and actors' strikes that affected Hollywood in 2023.
During an exclusive interview with Looper, Frolov and Schneider talked about what it takes to replace a long-standing character on "Chicago Med," whether fans should brace for anymore surprise exits, and the trait that "Med" shares with "The Sopranos."
New characters will bring a new dynamic to the show
At the end of Season 8, Dr. Halstead left Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. Each time a beloved character exits, what is your main thought about filling that void?
Diane Frolov: We always want to bring a character in that has some connection in some way with our cast. We give them a backstory that is going to cause some conflict, and maybe some love.
Andrew Schneider: We're also not looking to replace an actor, but to find an actor, a character, with a different dynamic, a fresh dynamic, that will keep the show alive.
Frolov: And give new stories.
On an ensemble series like "Chicago Med," it's not unusual to have characters coming and going. From your perspective, what does it take to launch a new character that you hope the audience will become invested in?
Schneider: [It takes] a very interesting backstory that makes you curious about them and makes you want to know [more] about them and to see how they'll interact with the other characters.
Frolov: There's a long casting process. You get to hear the dialogue beforehand and see how it's working.
Dean Archer (Steven Weber) comes to mind as a character that wasn't well liked or very likable when he first appeared, but now has turned a corner.
Schneider: We always try to explore different sides of each character, so they're not one dimensional. For how difficult Archer can be, there's a very vulnerable side to the man.
Frolov: We always thought that was there, that the gruff part of him was the cover. We've been unpeeling the character, and the audience is seeing more of him, but we haven't really changed him. We've revealed him.
Despite Archer's poor health, hopefully he's sticking around for this season?
Frolov: Yes, he is.
Because of the strikes, Season 9 is condensed into 13 episodes. Does a shortened season alter how you approach each episode? Will it feel more fast-paced?
Schneider: We always have a certain kind of story arc every season — a general story arc and then individual character arcs — and that will speed up.
Frolov: We don't have as much runway this year, so that does affect the storytelling. You don't have the time to do certain things you would if you had 22 episodes.
Should fans brace for any other high-profile character exits this season?
Schneider: I don't think they should brace for that. They should look forward to our new characters interacting with the characters that are in place.
Frolov and Schneider hope Med packs an emotional punch
You were both previously involved with "The Sopranos," which just celebrated 25 years since its premiere. What was it like working on that show? Did you learn anything from that show that has ever come into play on "Chicago Med"?
Frolov: We beat a lot of people up on "The Sopranos," so we look at "Chicago Med" as now we're fixing them.
Schneider: We're saving lives instead of taking lives.
Frolov: "The Sopranos" was an incredible experience. We loved working with [creator] David [Chase].
Schneider: In one sense, it was a soap opera in the way that "Med" is. You followed different characters and their lives and their personal relationships balanced against their professional relationships. "The Sopranos" were gangsters, but they all had interesting personal relationships.
When it's time for the 25th anniversary of the start of "Chicago Med," what do you hope people say about the show? What do you hope its legacy is?
Frolov: I hope that they feel like it spoke to the times, and that it reflected what was going on at the time in medicine and in society.
Schneider: Hopefully, it affected people emotionally, and gave them some insight into their own medical conditions and their own interactions with people, and to understand doctors a little better. They're not these distant figures in white coats.
Frolov: What would really be great is if it had an impact on healthcare.
That takes me to another question. How do you find the right balance between focusing on the medical aspect of the show and the emotional, character-driven storylines? Is it hard to keep up with medical trends?
Frolov: We have tremendous consultants. They're on top of things and they keep us abreast of what's going on in each of their hospitals. They also do a lot of reading in their work. We have to give them kudos.
Schneider: In terms of the balance, the challenge that's been there from the get-go is to find medical cases that also illuminate the personal and emotional lives of our doctors and nurses ... That's not really a problem, because medicine is always changing and there are always unprecedented cases.
When it comes to Season 9, what do you think is going to stand out the most to fans of the show?
Frolov: We are starting the season with a timeline that is six months in, so we're not picking up immediately after the end of last season.
Schneider: Season 9 is about new beginnings. Everyone is affected by their past, and we will see how their past affects how they go forward. They're all making changes in their lives.
Season 9 of "Chicago Med" premieres tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and will stream the next day on Peacock.
This interview has been edited for clarity.