9-1-1: Nashvillebreaks a seven-year streak for the popular first-responder franchise. The second9-1-1spinoff, followingthe end of9-1-1: Lone Starearlier this year, garnered a lot of attention for the question of where the new series would take place. The procedural drama, created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear, gets a lot of mileage out of its location by linking it to the type of emergencies that the main characters respond to. But as casting and character details have started to emerge, there’s a bigger distinguishing factor than just the spinoff’s Nashville focus.
9-1-1: Nashvillewill debut on ABC later this yearand, although an exact premiere date hasn’t been revealed just yet, executives have confirmed thatNashvilleand the main9-1-1series will crossover. That likely means, as the 118 attempt to move forward after the death of Captain Bobby Nash, they’ll rub shoulders with the spinoff’s new leads —NCIS: Los Angelesstar Chris O’Donnell andGrey’s Anatomyalum Jessica Capshaw.
Nashville Is The First 9-1-1 Show To Be Fronted By A Married Pair
It’s Partly A Marriage Story
O’Donnell, known in recent years for his role as Special Agent G. Callen on the long-runningNCIS: Los Angeles, wasthe first name cast for9-1-1: Nashville. He’ll play Captain Don Sharpe, with the official character description revealing that Don is a rugged fire captain and rodeo rider who runs Nashville’s busiest firehouse with his beloved son. But despite being a devoted husband and family man, Owen has his secrets. The casting of O’Donnell was soonfollowed by the news that Capshaw would play Don’s wife, Blythe Sharpe.
CJ Albright (3 episodes)
Nadia Karella (3 episodes)
The Practice(2002-2004)
Jamie Stringer
The focus on a married pair, with a grown-up son, is a new direction for the franchise that debuted in late 2018. Angela Bassett’s Athena Grant and Peter Krause’s Bobby Nash were both single when the series first started, with the writers tracking the evolution of their relationship over the course of eight seasons.9-1-1: Lone Starwas fronted by Rob Lowe’s Owen Strand, twice divorced, with a handful of serious love interests as the show went along.
It points to the spinoff putting a spotlight on how a long-running courtship survives and thrives…
The franchise has featured married couples in prominent roles, such as Henrietta (Aisha Hinds) and Karen (Tracie Thoms) in9-1-1and Judd (Jim Parrack) andGrace (Sierra McClain)onLone Star. But it’s the first time that the franchise will start by allowing the focus to be on married couple. It points to the spinoff putting a spotlight on how a long-running courtship survives and thrives rather than building a romance, in the case of Athena and Bobby, or Owen’s search for the right partner.
What Else Do We Know About 9-1-1: Nashville Thus Far
Two Other Roles Have Been Cast
9-1-1: Nashvillewill be written and executive produced by franchise co-creators Ryan Murphy and Tim Minear alongside9-1-1: Lone Starshowrunner Rashad Raisani. The spinoff hails from 20th Television and Ryan Murphy Television, with fellow franchise co-creator Brad Falchuk and9-1-1star Angela Bassett executive producing. It is so farthe only new show that ABC will be debuting for the upcoming broadcast season.
Williams-Paisley is the wife of country music artist Brad Paisley.
Along with Capshaw and O’Donnell, who is recognized by many for playing Robin in Joel Schumacher’sBatmanmovies,9-1-1: Nashvillehas added two starswith impressive tie-ins. The city is known for its country music connection, and the show has brought on country music superstar LeeAnn Rimes for her first starring role in an ongoing drama series. Veteran actor Kimberly Williams-Paisley (Father of the Bride,According to Jim) has also been cast.Their character details remain under wraps.
More casting will follow in the coming weeks and months, filling out the show’s ranks. That includes the question of who will play the son of Don and Blythe, giving a better sense of what makes9-1-1: Nashvillestand out from its predecessors.
