It’s been over five years since Disney purchased 20th Century Fox, and a number of deals from that purchase are still ongoing. Some shows like “The Simpsons,” “9-1-1: Lonestar,” and “Family Guy” are still being released on the FOX channel, even though they were made by Disney’s 20th Television.

Last year, FOX revealed that “9-1-1” would no longer be broadcast on their channel as it looked to shake up its own drama series lineup and reduce costs.  Disney quickly announced that the show would be moving to ABC. 

While technically it might be considered a cancelled show, that was brought back by another network, this feels more like a show that was simply too expensive for FOX to continue to fund, but perfect for Disney to, since it was an established franchise and Disney had the global rights for it.   And “9-1-1: Lonestar” is available exclusively on Disney+ in many countries like the UK and Australia, highlighting why these deals can be problematic.

While FOX cancelled “9-1-1” from its lineup, it did decide to move forward with another season of “9-1-1: Lonestar”, however the decision was made that due to last summer’s strikes, that the show would be held back for the 2024/25 season, to continue as normal.

Recently, at the Banff World Media Festival, FOX’s CEO Rob Wade spoke with Deadline about a number of topics and revealed an interesting bit of information on the future of “9-1-1: Lonestar”, which could indicate that the show could be coming to an end after the fifth season, that is unless ABC jumps in and saves it like “9-1-1”.

FOX Entertainment has been making more of its own shows, with multiple new series heading to screens later this year. However, it’s clear there is a conflict within the company about using shows from 20th Television, with Rob saying:

“You want to you want to control your own destiny. You need to own IP and we want to make things as efficiently as possible,”

A decision on the future of “9-1-1: Lonestar” is likely to come later this year, with Rob saying:

“We’re seeing where that goes. It’s a conversation between network and studio. I’ve seen a few shows out there that are canceled and then come back. Until we get to a point where we really know what’s happening with that show, I’m really excited about it in the fall. It’s got great creative, Rob Lowe keeps sending me videos of him lassoing things off the back of trucks so that looks great

If you’re a vertically integrated show with a studio and a network, these [legacy] shows make sense. Up until a certain point. Then there are financial issues with it. Where we are in the business at the moment, is that there’s still a mistrust between representation, I’m talking about agents and managers, and the networks in terms of what a show can cope with in terms of cost. I think it’s something that can only be proven as you see these shows go. If a show is leaving a network and the numbers are good, no one is doing it out spite, it’s because there are financial complications. Secondly, it means that if you don’t have certain shows on your network, it leads to opportunity.”

These comments do seem to indicate that any cancellation is just “business and isn’t personal”, but he’s also being very clear that these type of deals only tend to last for so long, especially as the longer a scripted show goes on, the more it costs to make.

And there has been a little bit more fuel added to the fire this past week, when it was revealed that Sierra McClain, who plays Grace Ryder in the show, had left the show and also shared on social media a quick message addressing it being the final season, though the post was quickly deleted.

So excited to be a part of @911lonestar’s final season!! What a ride it’s been!

Roger’s Take:  Ultimately, I do think FOX is eventually going to get to a point where it won’t want to spend money on shows from 20th Television that it doesn’t have the full distribution or ownership rights for.  The deal made sense shortly after the buyout and during the pandemic/strikes, but as FOX has revved up its own scripted drama and unscripted content, eventually, I could see FOX pulling back.  I think for the animated shows like “Family Guy”, ” and “The Simpsons”, it’s a little trickier to predict how long FOX might want to continue, but for the more expensive drama series like “9-1-1: Lonestar”, it feels less likely year on year, but ABC might want to add the show to its lineup, but it too is also scaling back its own scripted content lineup.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this show wraps up with the fifth season.

Do you think “9-1-1: Lonestar” will continue after a fifth season?  Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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