9-1-1: Nashville Breaks A 7-Year Trend For Ryan Murphy's First-Responder Franchise

9-1-1: Nashville will debut on ABC later this year and, although an exact premiere date hasn't been revealed just yet, executives have confirmed that Nashville and the main 9-1-1 series 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 Angeles star Chris O'Donnell and Grey's Anatomy alum 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-running NCIS: Los Angeles, was the first name cast for 9-1-1: 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 soon followed by the news that Capshaw would play Don's wife, Blythe Sharpe.

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 Star was fronted by Rob Lowe's Owen Strand, twice divorced, with a handful of serious love interests as the show went along.

The franchise has featured married couples in prominent roles, such as Henrietta (Aisha Hinds) and Karen (Tracie Thoms) in 9-1-1 and Judd (Jim Parrack) and Grace (Sierra McClain) on Lone 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

Along with Capshaw and O'Donnell, who is recognized by many for playing Robin in Joel Schumacher's Batman movies, 9-1-1: Nashville has added two stars with 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 makes 9-1-1: Nashville stand out from its predecessors.