Since January 2018, the “9-1-1” franchise has changed the way TV viewers think about first-responder procedurals, with over-the-top emergencies, soap-worthy plot twists, and the types of oddball characters you’d only find on a show co-created by Ryan Murphy. But which of the franchise’s four (yes, four) installments reigns supreme?
For the purposes of this list, we’re looking at every show in the “9-1-1” universe: the original series, now in its milestone 10th season on ABC; “9-1-1: Lone Star,” the show’s first spin-off, which was criminally canceled at Fox after just five seasons; “9-1-1: Nashville,” the newest addition to the franchise on ABC; and even “Doctor Odyssey,” which was folded into the “9-1-1” universe midway through its run on ABC, thanks to a puzzling visit from Athena Bassett as her “9-1-1” character Athena Grant.
A friendly warning: If you aren’t caught up on any of the four shows listed, you might want to wait before reading any further. Spoilers, some minor and others less so, are baked into the descriptions for each one.
Read on to see TVLine’s ranking of the four shows in the “9-1-1” universe (we really struggled with the top two!), then drop a comment with your own list below.
4. Doctor Odyssey
The closest thing we’ll get to a reboot of “The Love Boat,” this short-lived ABC drama (2024–2025) starred Joshua Jackson as Dr. Max Bankman, the latest handsome hire aboard a luxury cruise ship named — wait for it — The Odyssey. In addition to the show’s regular cast, which also included Phillipa Soo, Sean Teale, and Don Johnson, “Doctor Odyssey” featured a revolving door of famous guest stars, including Angela Bassett as her “9-1-1” character Athena Grant. This crossover suddenly made “Doctor Odyssey” part of the “9-1-1” universe, which was especially surprising when you remember that several actors who previously appeared on “9-1-1” had also guest-starred on “Doctor Odyssey” in different roles. (Ryan Murphy really went the “American Horror Story” route with this one.) Athena’s one visit aside, we enjoyed our 18-episode voyage with “Doctor Odyssey,” but we weren’t entirely disappointed when ABC decided to sink this ship after one season.
3. 9-1-1: Nashville
The newest addition to the franchise, “9-1-1: Nashville” is equal parts first-responder procedural and Southern soap opera, with both sides battling to see which can be campier. The ABC drama also takes advantage of its iconic setting, weaving elements of the country music industry into multiple storylines, most of which revolve around LeAnn Rimes’ character. (Speaking of which, Rimes has proven to be a pleasant surprise as scheme queen Dixie Bennings, holding her own against TV veterans like Chris O’Donnell and Jessica Capshaw.) We’ve enjoyed what we’ve seen from “9-1-1: Nashville” thus far, and all signs indicate that the show will continue to improve over time, but it simply hasn’t been airing long enough for it to earn a higher spot on this list. Let’s have this conversation again in a few years and see how we feel then.
2. 9-1-1: Lone Star
We wish you knew how close we came to putting this show at the top of our list. So close. We’re still not sure if we made the right decision, to be honest. The more time we spent revisiting “9-1-1: Lone Star,” the more we remembered how much we loved the franchise’s original spin-off. Lighter in tone than “9-1-1,” this quirky Fox drama starred Rob Lowe as Captain Owen Strand, who relocated to Texas from New York City to rebuild a fractured firehouse. The diversity of his new staff was one of the show’s greatest assets, allowing for nuanced stories about Muslim dating traditions, finding acceptance and love in the transgender community, immigration issues in the United States, and more. As for the couples on “9-1-1: Lone Star,” we were beyond invested. Judd and Grace’s unshakable marriage was the very definition of relationship goals, while T.K. and Carlos tested the limit of how many times social media would allow us to use the hashtag #Tarlos. We were extremely disappointed when “9-1-1: Lone Star” was canceled after just five seasons, but its brevity may actually be an upside in hindsight; because the show was axed before its time, it didn’t last long enough to overstay its welcome on our screens, forever leaving us wanting more.
1. 9-1-1
When “9-1-1” premiered in 2018, it was unlike anything else on television — an unapologetically over-the-top procedural that could only come from the mind of Ryan Murphy, whose previous creations included “Glee,” “Nip/Tuck,” and “American Horror Story.” It was unflinching in its exploration of the individuals who work as firefighters, police officers, and dispatchers, bolstered by a stellar cast of TV stars like Peter Krause and Connie Britton, fresh-faced favorites like Oliver Stark, and even a two-time Academy Award nominee in Angela Bassett. Currently in its milestone 10th season, “9-1-1” continues to top itself, most recently pitting the 118 against a sinkhole-turned-volcano in downtown Los Angeles. And this was after the hellish trip to outer space… and the bee-nado… and the tsunami. (We could do this all day, honestly.) But “9-1-1” has always reveled in absurdity, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. As for relationships, we’d jump in front of a truck for Hen and Karen, Chimney and Maddie’s marriage has been a roller coaster we could ride forever, and “Buddie” (divisive as it may be) is a bonafide phenomenon.
As we mentioned earlier, we did consider placing “9-1-1” in the No. 2 slot, but then we remembered two words: Bobby. Nash. When the 118’s fearless leader was killed off in Season 8, we witnessed a fandom reaction typically reserved for television’s most iconic characters. Anyone whose loss leaves that profound an impact must have been part of something truly special.
OK, it’s your turn: How would you rank the four TV shows in the “9-1-1” universe? Drop a comment with your personal list below.
