9-1-1: Nashville has an uphill battle as it approaches its fall 2025 premiere, but Nashville Fire Department Station 113 is already breaking a unique, longstanding trend in the franchise. 9-1-1: Nashville’s biggest concern is something it can’t avoid— being the second spinoff in Ryan Murphy’s first-responder franchise. The 2024-25 network TV cycle ended many spinoffs, including the beloved 9-1-1: Lone Star in February 2025. For many titles, it seemed too difficult to forge their own identity while feeling connected to their flagship series.
In that sense, 9-1-1: Nashville should have no trouble echoing the original 9-1-1’s over-the-top emergencies and natural disasters, but more has to be done to make the characters and overarching plot compelling. The first trailer for 9-1-1: Nashville gave a glimpse into the lively setting, promising tone, and potential first disaster (a whirling fire tornado). Yet, the new characters will be the make-or-break aspect of 9-1-1: Nashville, and creating the right team could be the difference between renewal or cancelation.
Most Of 9-1-1: Nashville’s Firefighters Are In Their Mid-To-Late 20s
Three Out Of Four Team Members Are Elder Gen Z
9-1-1: Nashville has already made an intriguing decision regarding its main cast by casting notably younger actors for most of the main roles. There are plenty of more experienced names attached to 9-1-1: Nashville’s cast as well, but their characters exist outside the central firehouse. Aside from Captain Don Sharpe (Chris O’Donnell), there are four confirmed firefighters in the 113: Ryan (Michael Provost), Blue (Hunter McVey), Taylor (Hailey Kilgore), and Roxie (Juani Feliz). Interestingly, Provost, McVey, and Kilgore were all born in the late 1990s (1998, 1999, and 1999, respectively).
The 9-1-1 Franchise Usually Follows Older Characters
The Original & Lone Star Both Used Youth As A Plot Device
In addition to the previous captains in the 9-1-1 franchise— Peter Krause’s Bobby Nash and Rob Lowe’s Owen Strand— being of similar ages to Chris O’Donnell, the average ages of their firehouses have skewed older. In the flagship series, Aisha Hinds (Hen) and Kenneth Choi (Chimney) started the series in their early-to-mid 40s. Similarly, Jim Parrack (Judd) and Brian Michael Smith (Paul) started the Texas-based spinoff in their late 30s. The few characters that were younger— Oliver Stark’s Buck, Ronen Rubinstein’s TK, and Anirudh Pisharody’s Ravi— were purposely painted as irresponsible or inexperienced due to their age.
Some characters have slightly different ages than the actors who portray them, but canonical and implied ages alike have nonetheless been important plot devices in the 9-1-1 franchise. Whether it was Ryan Guzman’s Eddie experiencing a teen pregnancy or Angela Bassett’s Athena pulling a muscle while chasing a perp, youth and maturation have been reliable sources of conflict. Age also informs how a character is perceived, as Athena’s career in 9-1-1 seemed precarious due to her physical limitations in season 8, while Ravi’s “probie” status made him feel green and naive when he first appeared in season 4.
What Its Younger Cast Means For 9-1-1: Nashville's Story
Nashville May Feel Different From Its Predecessors (But That's Not A Bad Thing)
Rather than employing a token young character, 9-1-1: Nashville has three twenty-somethings in its main team. As such, it would be difficult to follow the norm of casting young firefighters as cocky and mistake-prone. Instead, 9-1-1: Nashville can use its cast to appeal to a younger demographic by making Blue, Taylor, and Ryan all well-rounded characters who also happen to be in their 20s. Of course, the Tennessee-based spinoff can still use age as a potential source of conflict.
Maybe Taylor’s youth makes her ambitious, leading her to use her reportedly amazing singing voice to explore the music scene in 9-1-1: Nashville. As the captain’s son, perhaps Ryan feels the need to act older and more knowledgeable than he is to compensate for his nepotism. Given his rocky past, Blue may be more reckless than he would be if the character were, for example, approaching 40. Aside from surface-level changes like costuming and dialogue to fit the characters’ youth, 9-1-1: Nashville could easily employ age-based dynamics without resorting to clichés, using its tradition-breaking cast to its advantage.
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