The One Chicago universe will be around for a good while when the three shows return in fall 2025, and continue on until May for their eventual finales. After some speculation about how long the seasons will be, and whether they'd come in a little shorter this time around, it sounds like thankfully that won't be the case.
According to Deadline, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med will each have 21 episodes in their respective and upcoming seasons. This is definitely a relief as there were rumors perhaps the shows would come in at 18-20 episodes instead. It may not seem like a huge deal because it's just a few taken off. Though this is what we here hoping to hear.
The news outlet also reports that the leads are all returning as well including Taylor Kinney, Miranda Rae Mayo, and Dermot Mulroney from Chicago Fire; Jason Beghe in Chicago P.D.; and Chicago Med's S. Epatha Merkerson and Oliver Platt. This is good news despite the fact their roles will be cut down slightly in the new seasons.
How NBC's cost cutting measures effect One Chicago
NBC made drastic decisions as the network announced which shows were getting renewed and which were cancelled. There were many shocking ones, including not moving forward with dramas like Found and The Irrational, and comedies like Night Court. For those that did get the green light, One Chicago shows in particular, needed the actors to commit to certain cost cuts. Deadline shares that a couple of episodes from each season may not feature some, or all, of the series regulars.
Those cuts in the budget include the fact that the series regulars won't be in every episode of the upcoming 21 episodes in each series. The stars and NBC have been negotiating contracts for a while, so I guess they were able to come to an agreement both sides were alright with. The guest stars are paid less than series regulars, which is where this decision comes from.
I truly hope that they won't be gone for most of their seasons, and these extreme cost cutting measures won't affect the story or how we enjoy watching the shows. One Chicago, produced by Dick Wolf's Wolfe Entertainment and Universal Television, has become a fixture on the network for us broadcast TV fans. I would hate to see something as silly as this effect the quality of the work.
Chicago Fire season 14, Chicago P.D. season 13, and Chicago Med season 11 premiere sometime in fall 2025 on NBC. Previous episodes and seasons from all three shows can be streamed on Peacock.
