Hawaii may become the next location for a 911 spin-off

Could 911 fans be saying "aloha" to a Hawaii-based spinoff? Here's what we know!

911 has become a steady hit with six seasons on Fox before it was surprisingly canceled by the network. More surprising was that at the same time, the show moved to ABC. It's rare for a show already an established hit to jump networks like this, but so far, it's paid dividends for 911. 

With ABC's much higher budgets, the show can afford bigger events like Season 7's cruise ship disaster and Season 8's "Beenado" and plane emergency. Season 7 was cut down to only ten episodes due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes while Season 8 looks to be a full 22 episodes.

A new 911 spin-off in the works

Sadly, 911: Lone Star is confirmed as ending with its current fifth season. The combination of lower ratings without the mothership 911 show and the big budget involved ended the spin-off while the original 911 is still going. 

Creator Ryan Murphy has been hinting that a new spin-off could be coming. This is only natural as ABC would want to continue 911's success and there are scores of cities that could be considered for a spinoff. 

It sounded like Miami was a top contender, which makes sense given the Florida city would have plenty of material for emergency situations and the sunny beach setting has a lot to offer viewers. 

However, a new report from Deadline indicates that ABC is now looking at Hawaii as a location for a new 911 spinoff. This may be because ABC wants to keep up the bright and sunny vibes of shows like the recent new hit Doctor Odyssey. That may be interesting but there are some challenges. 

Why 911: Hawaii may be problematic

One obvious issue is that Fox already has its own Hawaii-based show in Rescue: Hi-Surf. Granted, shows set in the same state are commonplace yet viewers may feel the need for another Hawaii-based rescue show is a bit much. 

The bigger issue is that filming in Hawaii isn't cheap. The state doesn't offer the same incentives and tax breaks that California does and the logistics of filming among the islands is tough. Rescue: Hi-Surf is said to cost about $3-4 million per episode and the budget is lower because the cast is made up of mostly unknown actors who don't command a high salary. Indeed, the cost of production played a major part in CBS canceling NCIS: Hawaii, despite how that show was a big ratings hit. 

911 relies on casting some big names like Angela Bassett and Rob Lowe, so a new spin-off will likely have a notable star as well. That will add to the budget which is likely to also go high because 911 loves their epic disasters and emergencies. That's tough enough for an L.A.-based show and worse for one in Hawaii. 

So far, these are just rumors and ABC may decide to go for another city. Some fans may want a show set in a city like Boston or Philadelphia that features colder weather for different emergencies. It could come down to the budget yet the idea of 911 featured in Hawaii is an intriguing one for fans.

911 Season 8 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC.