Oliver Stark Sparks Chaos After Suggesting Chris O’Donnell Could Be Buck’s Long-Lost Relative

Oliver Stark is hoping to see more of the Buckley family across the expanding 9-1-1 universe. The ABC procedural is set to return for its ninth season in the upcoming TV cycle, following its recent renewal alongside fellow scripted hits like The Rookie, Will Trent, and Grey’s Anatomy. The next season will also mark the debut of a new 9-1-1 spin-off, Nashville (probably a working title), set in the heart of the country music capital. With the spin-off expected to share DNA with the flagship series, the chances of a crossover are high. Stark, who plays Evan “Buck” Buckley, one of the 118’s core firefighters, is already looking forward to the possibility of a Buckley family tie-in between both shows.

In his recent interview with ScreenRant, Stark was asked whether he’d be open to a potential crossover with the upcoming spin-off, and his enthusiastic response said it all. “Yeah, let’s go!” he exclaimed before pitching his own idea for how Buck could be folded into the new show. Nashville has already announced a major casting in NCIS: LA alum Chris O’Donnell, who will lead the series as the head of Nashville’s busiest firehouse, alongside his on-screen son. O’Donnell’s character details already suggest a family-centric narrative, and Stark floated the possibility that Buck could be written in as a relative of O’Donnell’s character, giving him a natural reason to appear in the spin-off:

“I feel like Buck would have a lot of fun in Nashville. I saw they cast Chris O’Donnell, could be Buck’s cousin. I’m putting that out there. I could pay a visit to him in Nashville and find myself stumbling down Broadway. Yeah, I would love that. Dr. Odyssey didn’t quite work out, so ship me off to Nashville, and I’ll be there.”

What Is the ‘9-1-1’ Nashville Crossover About? While the plot details remain under wraps for now, some hints about Nashville’s direction can be gathered from the character description of Chris O’Donnell’s Captain Don Sharpe. He is described as “a rugged fire captain and rodeo rider who runs Nashville’s busiest firehouse with his beloved son. Don’s a devoted husband and family man, but he has his secrets.” Like its predecessors, Nashville is expected to follow a weekly case format while bringing its own distinct flavor to the franchise. 9-1-1: Lone Star co-showrunner Rashad Raisani teased the show’s unique identity, saying, “It will still hopefully feel like our DNA, but in the same way that Lone Star was different than 9-1-1 and had its own feel, I think that if we can get this right, this will have its own feel.”

Nashville already has deep 9-1-1 ties behind the scenes, with 9-1-1 star Angela Bassett serving as an executive producer alongside Brad Falchuk. Franchise creator Ryan Murphy, as well as Tim Minear and Raisani, are also on board as executive producers. Stay tuned for more updates on Nashville as they come.Like its predecessors, Nashville is expected to follow a weekly case format while bringing its own distinct flavor to the franchise. 9-1-1: Lone Star co-showrunner Rashad Raisani teased the show’s unique identity, saying, “It will still hopefully feel like our DNA, but in the same way that Lone Star was different than 9-1-1 and had its own feel, I think that if we can get this right, this will have its own feel.”

Nashville already has deep 9-1-1 ties behind the scenes, with 9-1-1 star Angela Bassett serving as an executive producer alongside Brad Falchuk. Franchise creator Ryan Murphy, as well as Tim Minear and Raisani, are also on board as executive producers. Stay tuned for more updates on Nashville as they come.