Nashville Teaser Trailer Hints at ABC Spinoff’s Explosive First Crisis

The 9-1-1 franchise has thrown plenty of natural disasters in the paths of its first responders over the years, from an earthquake to a tsunami to an asteroid — but a flaming tornado? That’s definitely a new one.

ABC has released a new promo for 9-1-1: Nashville, which finds a fiery twister touching down in Music City, implying it to be the first disaster facing its firefighters when the ABC spinoff premieres this fall. Though an exact date hasn’t been set, we know that 9-1-1: Nashville will air Thursdays at 9/8c, sandwiched between 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy.

“There were a lot of possibilities that had been talked about,” 9-1-1: Nashville executive producer Tim Minear tells TVLine, explaining that the setting was ultimately chosen for two reasons. “One, I think that it’s a really interesting city with its own personality. It’s very unlike Austin. We did kind of a red state 9-1-1 [with Lone Star], but Austin is a very blue town. Nashville felt even a little bit more Southern. It also has the country music industry, and it just felt like it could be a fun place to set a piece of the franchise.”

The second reason is a bit more practical. “Quite frankly, Tennessee is very production-friendly,” Minear adds. “That also factored into our reasoning. There are some states that you think would be fantastic places to set the show, but it’s just not cost effective to do it.”

9-1-1: Nashville is also being executive-produced by Ryan Murphy, former 9-1-1: Lone Star showrunner Rashad Raisani, Brad Falchuk, Chad Lowe and Angela Bassett.

Read on for a breakdown of everything we know about 9-1-1: Nashville, then drop a comment with your own thoughts and hopes for the franchise’s next chapter.

Who Will Lead 9-1-1: Nashville?

Chris O’Donnell (NCIS: Los Angeles) is set to star in the highly anticipated spinoff. He will play Captain Don Sharpe, “a rugged fire captain and rodeo rider who runs Nashville’s busiest firehouse with his beloved son,” according to the official character breakdown. “Don’s a devoted husband and family man but he has his secrets.”

Cast: Jessica Capshaw

Former Grey’s Anatomy star Jessica Capshaw was the second addition to the cast, stepping into the role of Don’s (O’Donnell) wife Blythe. She’s in the horse racing business, which is a natural fit for Capshaw, who “grew up riding” and is still “around horses all the time.”

“She’s everything you want to be, and you want to talk to your daughters about being,” Capshaw tells TVLine. “She’s this equal mix of strong and smart and strategic and ambitious. At the same time, she’s incredibly warm and holding everyone together and making sure that everyone’s feeling good. She’s the empath and the conductor at the same time. It’s going to be very fun to see how that plays out.”

Cast: LeAnn Rimes and Kimberly Williams-Paisley

Country singer LeAnn Rimes and former Nashville star Kimberly Williams-Paisley have also been added to the show’s main cast, though details about their characters remain under wraps for now.

Cast: Hailey Kilgore

Kilgore plays Taylor, a firefighter and incredible singer.

Cast: Michael Provost

Provost stars plays Don and Blythe’s son Ryan, a firefighter and modern-day cowboy.

Cast: Juani Feliz

Feliz plays Roxie, a former trauma surgeon and total adrenaline junkie.

Cast: Hunter McVey

McVey plays Blue, a haunted bad boy-turned-firefighter.

When Will 9-1-1: Nashville Premiere on ABC

Though a date has yet to be announced, 9-1-1: Nashville is set to premiere this fall on ABC, airing on Thursdays at 9/8c.

Will Any 9-1-1: Lone Star Characters Join 9-1-1: Nashville?

With 9-1-1: Lone Star having reached what many fans consider to be an early conclusion, it could be fun for a few characters to continue their stories on the spinoff. Fun… but not likely.

“I have no current plans for that,” Minear tells TVLine. “But it’s not impossible!”

For what it’s worth, Rob Lowe recently expressed his desire to make an appearance as Owen Strand, his character from Lone Star. “I’ll have to ask Chad Lowe, my brother,” Lowe said. “Chad Lowe is the executive producer, director of 9-1-1 Nashville. So I’m just waiting for my phone to ring. I mean, you know, I hired him on Lone Star. I think turnabout is fair play.”

Will 9-1-1: Nashville Have a Backdoor Pilot?

That would be a no. Minear confirms to TVLine that the cast of 9-1-1: Nashville installment will not be introduced early via a backdoor pilot on 9-1-1. We’ll have to wait until the first episode to see the new team in action.

What Role Will Music Play on 9-1-1: Nashville?

Though he can’t say how quite yet, Minear confirms that music will “absolutely” factor into 9-1-1: Nashville. What, you thought they’d set a show in literal “Music City” and not let anyone pick up a guitar? Don’t be surprised if one of the first responders — or more likely one of their significant others — winds up on stage at the Bluebird before the first season is over, especially with LeAnn Rimes in the cast.

Will 9-1-1: Nashville Have Crossovers With 9-1-1?

9-1-1: Lone Star only staged one full crossover with 9-1-1 during its five-season run, along with a FaceTime cameo from Angela Bassett’s Athena. Logistics were blamed for the lack of interaction between the two shows, and it doesn’t sound like we can hope for much better with 9-1-1: Nashville.

“It’s just not something we’re thinking about right now,” Minear says.

Will Connie Britton Appear on 9-1-1: Nashville?

We’re mostly kidding about this one, but between this being a 9-1-1 spinoff and being an ABC drama with Nashville in the title, doesn’t it feel like we deserve some sort of Connie Britton mention? Sure, Britton’s 9-1-1 character moved to Arizona, and her Nashville character is dead — but never say never!

“Maybe she could play Abby’s twin cousin,” Minear jokes.