Look, when the first announcement for 9-1-1: Nashville was Chris O’Donnell, I was excited. I spent over a decade enjoying him on NCIS: Los Angeles, and I know he can carry a series. And Jessica Capshaw as his wife, I could see, and considering I enjoyed Arizona Robbins on Grey’s Anatomy, I was willing to give it a chance. But LeAnn Rimes and Kimberly Williams Paisley gave me pause. Not because of who they are, but because… eh, a Tennessee-based show with an all-white cast wasn’t exactly what I signed up for.
The show has, at least, added some diversity, with four new series regulars. Deadline is reporting that Hailey Kilgore (Power Book III: Raising Kanan), Michael Provost (The Holdovers), Juani Feliz (Harlem), and Hunter McVey are also joining the show as series regulars. And that is a step in the right direction, truly. It just feels a little too early for excitement.
One Black woman, a Latina, and two dudes who give Buddie 2.0 are not enough to convince me at this point. And I might be wrong! They are a step in the right direction (well, the Black woman and the Latina, I don’t much care about whether these dudes are really Buddie 2.0, and I won’t actually be made to care until such time as I get Buddie canon, please and thanks). Plus, there’s been reports they’re actually half siblings, which is an interesting twist and all, but would give me even less in terms of representation. In general, this show is still giving deep South vibes, and not necessarily the good kind.
That being said, 9-1-1: Lone Star, which was set in Texas, was pretty inclusive for a show set in Texas. It was set in Austin, which sort of explains that, but it’s still Texas. So they do get points for that. And I’m willing to be surprised here. But I’m not counting on it. As someone who spent enough time in the US South to know better, I’m going to need 9-1-1: Nashville to show me, not tell me, before it actually grabs me.
Considering the show is, reportedly, already filming, we might get some more information sooner rather than later. Until such time, I guess there’s no way I can dislike Chris O’Donnell’s character more than I disliked Owen Strand? There is that.
9-1-1: Nashville will premiere on ABC this fall.
