‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ Showrunner Says ‘Hell Yeah’ to More Spinoffs in the Future
“9-1-1” is getting its first spinoff this year, but series co-creator Tim Minear says there could still be more on the way.
“The idea is to have the brand grow in a way that feels organic and natural,” Minear said at the Television Critics Association press tour on Tuesday. But when asked if he wanted to “Dick Wolf the show” into a “Chicago Fire” or “Law & Order”-style franchise, Minear added: “Hell yeah.”
“9-1-1: Lone Star,” which stars Rob Lowe and Liv Tyler as first responders in Austin, Texas, is nominally a spinoff of the flagship drama starring Peter Krause and Angela Bassett, but the two shows don’t intersect at all — at least not yet. Minear said the creative approach to the two dramas were almost complete opposites.
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“We didn’t want to jump into a new iteration of ‘9-1-1’ until we felt like we had something that was part of the universe but was unique and had something to say,” Minear said. “And we sort of started with spectacle on ‘9-1-1,’ but on ‘Lone Star,’ we felt like we’d earned the good graces of our audience, so we started from character and build to the cases … It feels different but it still feels like part of the same brand.”
As for a crossover, Minear said there have been conversations but no concrete plans yet. Certainly, the fact that “9-1-1” takes place in a completely different city presents certain logistical challenges, but Minear’s primary source of resistance is a desire to ensure each show maintains its own identity.
“We’ve talked about it, but I’m not there yet,” he said. “I have different ideas for a crossover, but what I’m interested in is keeping both shows in their own lane.”
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“Lone Star does not need 9-1-1, and 9-1-1 does not need Lone Star,” he continued. “They complement each other. I think the important thing is to create a world here that is its own world, that people feel invested in these characters.”
In addition to Lowe and Tyler, “9-1-1: Lone Star” also stars Ronen Rubinstein, Sierra McClain, Jim Parrack, Natacha Karam, Brian Michael Smith, newcomer Rafael Silva and Julian Works. The series is created and executive produced by Minear, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. Lowe serves as co-executive producer.
Watch a new trailer for “9-1-1: Lone Star” below.
Read original story ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ Showrunner Says ‘Hell Yeah’ to More Spinoffs in the Future At TheWrap
