The 9-1-1 world has officially expanded. The newest spinoff, 9-1-1: Nashville, premiered on Thursday as part of the 2025 TV schedule, making it the third series in the franchise following 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Lone Star. Nashville’s cast consists of some heavy hitters, including Chris O’Donnell, Jessica Capshaw, LeAnn Rimes, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley. While it may not be the easiest franchise to join considering all the ridiculous emergencies involved, Rimes revealed the piece of advice she received from her pal, Rob Lowe, and I can't stop laughing over how brutally honest it is.
Lowe starred on 9-1-1: Lone Star for all five seasons as Captain Owen Strand until the series came to an end in February following a surprising cancellation. The series still remains close to Lowe's heart, as he even expressed interest in appearing on Nashville, noting he has some connections since his brother, Chad Lowe, works on the series. He’s also been doling out advice, as Rimes told Us Weekly that a chat with Lowe turned out to be very informative:
I was talking the other day to Rob Lowe, and he was talking about how, ‘If you want reality, you don’t go to this series.' We have the craziest rescues, which is what’s so interesting. We’ll be like, ‘There’s no way this has happened before in real life.’ Then they’ll show us the articles because they’re pulling from real-life situations.
There have been some pretty insane events on the 9-1-1 shows. Between a volcano erupting under a pool, someone’s eyes popping out on a merry-go-round at the park, and being sent up to space, 9-1-1 may seem pretty out there, and Rimes definitely thought so for good reason. That being said, Law & Order is not the only franchise to take from real life, and it made the country star that much more appreciative:
If you think about it — in the world of however many millions of people there are — this stuff is bound to happen to somebody. Every time we think it hasn’t really happened, there’s an article for that that shows you it has. What I love about it is once you buy into the craziness of this show, you just fall in love with it. I remember watching the first couple episodes of 9-1-1. I was like, ‘What am I watching?’ And then about the third episode, I was like, ‘Whoa, I’m totally into their own reality.’ You just fall in love with it.
9-1-1 has been mocked for its ridiculousness, most recently with a promo for Season 9 that saw some of the characters bracing for impact for what seems to be a meteor shower, but fans have to remember that it is a Ryan Murphy show. So even though some of the twists feel realistic, others are so insane that they don't seem like they could possibly be based on anything real.
Already, 9-1-1: Nashville has proven to be intense and ridiculous, but that’s what makes it fun. It’s hard to predict how the series will do and what else will be included, as well as what real rescues will be involved. There will be much to look forward to as the season continues, and no telling what will happen.
Fans will just have to tune in to new episodes of 9-1-1: Nashville on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription. Even though Lone Star had differences from 9-1-1, it still managed to bring the ridiculous, and I’m betting Nashville will too, even with the soap opera-ness of it.
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