9-1-1 Showrunner Teases Lone Star Crossover With A Surprising Catch

Created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear, the procedural drama "9-1-1" debuted on Fox in January 2018 and is now in the midst of its fifth season. The series follows the work and personal lives of various first responders in Los Angeles, including paramedics, firefighters, police officers, and dispatchers. The cast includes Angela Bassett and Peter Krause as married couple Athena Grant-Nash and Bobby Nash, a patrol officer and fire department captain, respectively.

The show's popularity eventually led to a spinoff, "9-1-1: Lone Star," which premiered in January 2021 and is now in its third season. "Lone Star" follows New York firefighter Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) after he moves to Austin, Texas, with his son. Aside from a new cast of characters, not to mention a new location, the premise of "Lone Star" echoes its predecessor.

Much to the delight of fans, the two shows have already had one crossover episode. In "Lone Star" Season 2, Episode 3, a few characters from "9-1-1" — Evan Buckley (Oliver Stark), Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman), and Henrietta Wilson (Aisha Hinds) — travel to Texas to help with a massive wildfire. After this exciting episode, fans are likely wondering when they'll be getting another crossover event. Well, as it turns out, it should be pretty soon. Here's what Minear, who also serves as showrunner on both Fox shows, has to say about the matter.

During a recent interview with Variety, showrunner Tim Minear addressed the question on many fans' minds: When will there be another crossover event between "9-1-1" and "9-1-1: Lone Star"? Minear revealed that when the two shows return from their hiatuses, there will indeed be some "crossover action." When do those hiatuses end, exactly? Variety notes both shows are back on the air in March, returning to their back-to-back time slots of 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET.

However, the crossover won't be nearly as in-depth or involving for the characters of either show, unlike the "Lone Star" wildfire episode. Minear remarked that the COVID-19 pandemic is still a major factor when it comes to production, and thus, implicitly, it must be considered when bringing together the casts of "9-1-1" and "Lone Star." He continued, "There will be some crossover action in the back half of this season. Don't expect a giant crossover where all the characters from one show appear on the other show. But there will be some cross-pollination," and went on to say he's hesitant about doing a big crossover until he can do the episode and any characters involved justice.

Minear noted that his hesitation to do a major crossover event is quite the challenge, especially with COVID restrictions in place. He said, "When we did the wildfires, we brought over three characters, and then I decided on what the pairings were going to be ... that was the way I could, over the course of 44 minutes, try to get at least three stories happening. Man, it's a challenge." As for what fans can expect this season, he concluded, "But I think there will be at least a couple of characters from '9-1-1' who might pop up on 'Lone Star.'"