'9-1-1: Nashville' Will Continue '9-1-1: Lone Star's Legacy in One Major Way

A role behind the scenes of 9-1-1: Nashville has officially been confirmed as casting announcements continue. 9-1-1: Nashville cast member and Grey's Anatomy alum Jessica Capshaw revealed on Threads that 9-1-1: Lone Star's showrunner, Rashad Raisani, will serve as showrunner for the upcoming 9-1-1 spin-off. Just this week, ABC confirmed that Nashville would be a part of the fall network lineup, airing Thursdays after the flagship 9-1-1 (which would also put it up against shows like Matlock and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit).

The new spin-off series, set in Nashville, Tennessee, currently has four confirmed cast members. There's Capshaw, and Chris O'Donnell will lead the series, playing Capshaw's character's husband, Captain Don Sharpe. O'Donnell's character is a firehouse captain in Nashville's busiest firehouse. Also recently confirmed are country music star LeAnn Rimes and actress and real-life Nashvillian Kimberly Williams-Paisley.

The Minds Behind '9-1-1' Are Planning a Big Event for '9-1-1: Nashville's Premiere

In a recent interview with Deadline, Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, explains that the upcoming 9-1-1 spin-off is a "huge priority." He explains that the team behind the spin-off "have a really special event planned for 9-1-1: Nashville." Franchise creator Ryan Murphy, 9-1-1 showrunner Tim Minear, and Raisani will all serve as executive producers. Brad Falchuk, 9-1-1 star Angela Bassett, as well as Nashville lead O'Donnell, will also serve as executive producers on the spin-off. Erwich reiterated his faith in the team behind the spin-off, saying, “I think that the 9-1-1 team are truly the masters of event-izing television, the way that bee-nado kicked off 9-1-1 last year." As for 9-1-1 and Nashville crossing over, Erwich explained:

"They have a really special event planned for 9-1-1: Nashville, and although we haven’t discussed [crossovers], I think it’s an incredible opportunity that I’m sure at some point we’ll figure out how to capitalize on. What the 9-1-1‘s been able to do, it’s really a master class in television, which is consistently event-izing that show to keep it fresh after all these many years, my hat’s off to Tim and Ryan for that."

Bassett, who will serve as an executive producer, has already said she's open to the concept, and it looks more and more like a possibility. Basset told TV Insider that it "makes some sense" and explained:

“We have to see how we do this interstate, how are we gonna play this, what business I have over there? But we’ll see if the FBI comes into play, if somebody runs from California to Nashville or vice versa, but yeah, you definitely could have some crossover action going on.”

You can watch past episodes of 9-1-1 on Disney+ now. 9-1-1: Nashville premieres this fall on ABC. Stay with Collider for the latest updates.