Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Chicago PD have put another strong batch of seasons in 2024-25. The franchise dished out solid ratings as individual shows, in addition to a massive crossover event that ranks as one of its best to date. We're inching closer toward the season finales for each show, and yet, there has been no news yet on renewals.
It's getting down to the wire, and the closer we get to season finales without a renewal from NBC, the more we have to consider the possibility of the shows not coming back. Should we be freaking out or is there a precedent for waiting this long into the season to confirm renewals?
Well, the last few years have been similarly touch and go when it comes to renewals. NBC renewed all three One Chicago shows and all three Law and Order shows at the end of March 2024, so we are still very much in the ballpark when it comes to period of time.
One Chicago was previously renewed in March 2024
The year before, 2023, saw the network issue one season renewals for Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Chicago PD on April 10. In other words, the end of March and beginning of April appears to be a sweet spot for network renewals, which means, comfortingly, we are right on track with past years.
It's the circumstances surrounding other procedural dramas in 2025 that have made the lack of NBC renewals thus far feel stressful. CBS, for example, has canceled a ton of their proven shows over the last few months. NBC, meanwhile, waited until the first week of April to issue renewals on their proven hits.
The silence from NBC has been deafening, insofar as fans don't want to see their favorite shows suffer the same fate as CBS titles like SWAT or FBI: Most Wanted. The difference between these titles, the latter of which shares a Wolf Entertainment banner with One Chicago, is that they there were specific issues that led to their cancelation.
NBC's Upfront presentation Is May 12
SWAT, for example, was a show that was produced by Sony Pictures Television, which meant that the negotiations between Sony and CBS grew increasingly difficult. FBI: Most Wanted, on the other hand, suffered from declining ratings and cost-cutting measures. There was also a desire on the part of the network to push the franchise in new and exciting directions.
One Chicago doesn't suffer from these issues. Its shows are produced by Universal Television, which is a division of NBCUniversal, and the network has not made any attempts to ditch a Chicago Med or Chicago PD in favor of a new spinoff. In fact, the network has been careful not to stretch the franchise too thin since the cancelation of Chicago Justice in 2017.
NBCUniversal's 2025 Upfront presentation is scheduled for May 12. It's here, at this annual event, that the network will provide details for their upcoming television schedule. Basically, fans will know, at the very latest, whether the One Chicago shows are renewed or canceled by the time this event takes place.
