Why 9-1-1's Best Crossover Special May Never Happen (& That's For The Best)

9-1-1 hasn't had many crossovers in its eight seasons (with only one that mostly takes place in a 9-1-1: Lone Star episode) and that streak will likely continue despite a great opportunity to collaborate with another established ABC series. The TV show created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear revolves around first responders living in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, 9-1-1's location limited its chances of crossing over more times with its spinoff while they aired on the same channel. Now that 9-1-1 is on ABC and 9-1-1: Lone Star is ending after season 5, the time for crossovers is over.

9-1-1 season 8 returns with new episodes on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at 8 pm ET on ABC.

However, even if 9-1-1 can't join forces with 9-1-1: Lone Star, that doesn't mean it won't have any crossovers in the future. ABC has many procedural series that could work alongside 9-1-1. Unfortunately, the show's best match for a crossover is seemingly out of the question for a multitude of reasons.

9-1-1's Best Crossover Show Partner Is The Rookie

Both Procedurals Take Place In Los Angeles

Out of all the procedural dramas on ABC, the best TV show for 9-1-1 to collaborate with is The Rookie. Both series take place in Los Angeles, California, and focus on the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Yes, 9-1-1 features characters who work other first responder jobs, but that would only make a crossover between 9-1-1 and The Rookie more interesting and complex.

The Rookie Season 7 Cast	Character
Nathan Fillion	John Nolan
Richard T. Jones	Wade Grey
Alyssa Diaz	Angela Lopez
Eric Winter	Tim Bradford
Melissa O'Neil	Lucy Chen
Mekia Cox	Nyla Harper
Shawn Ashmore	Wesley Evers
Jenna Dewan	Bailey Nune
Lisseth Chavez	Celina Juarez
Deric Augustine	Miles Penn
Patrick Kelehe	Seth Ridley

Unfortunately, a 9-1-1 crossover with The Rookie is highly improbable. When TVLine asked The Rookie season 7 showrunner Alexi Hawley about the idea, his response wasn't exactly optimistic. Hawley said:

"To me, that's a hard crossover, just because you have an expectation that you're going to see [9-1-1 characters] all the time. If we're both in the same universe in Los Angeles, how are we not stumbling over them all the time?"

Why It's Best For 9-1-1 & The Rookie To Remain Separate

A Crossover Would Put Everyone In Danger

As The Rookie showrunner points out, a crossover between the Nathan Fillion series and 9-1-1 would be difficult to pull off. First of all, The Rookie characters joining forces with 9-1-1's first responders indicates a massive (and expensive) disaster takes place in Los Angeles, putting everyone in danger (and possibly losing some characters). Plus, after everything is said and done, some viewers will expect to see more crossovers between the two popular ABC shows.

9-1-1 shouldn't be weighed down by people asking when characters from The Rookie will show up again. The same goes for Hawley's police procedural series. So, while a crossover between 9-1-1 and The Rookie is quite exciting in theory, it might be best to keep their universes separate.