Fox’s ‘9-1-1’ Replacement Revealed

Fox made a surprising move earlier this week by canceling its highest-rated series, 9-1-1, which luckily found a new home on ABC, but the network previously found a replacement. According to an exclusive from Deadline, Fox has handed out a straight-to-series order for Hawaiian lifeguard drama Rescue: HI-Surf from John Wells Production. The series, slated for the 2023-24 broadcast season, is co-produced by Warner Bros. Television and Fox Entertainment. It is also potentially the next franchise for the network.

The action drama follows lifeguards’ personal and professional lives on the North Shore of O’ahu, with each episode featuring the first responders saving lives in the conditions of Hawaii’s Seven Mile Miracle. Matt Kester serves as writer, executive producer, and showrunner on Rescue: HI-Surf, while John Wells is an executive producer. It’s the fifth series overall that Fox has picked up for next season, joining Doc, Snake Oil, Krapapolis, and Grimsburg.

News of Rescue: HI-Surf came just days before the 9-1-1 cancellation, and since it sounds like a franchise might be in the works, it’s possible Fox might be making it its new flagship series. While there isn’t any word on when during the 2023-24 season, it wouldn’t be surprising if the network chose to pair it up with 9-1-1: Lone Star, given the fact that the two are similar. Plus, without 9-1-1, it would make Lone Star Fox’s highest-rated series, which would make for a great show for HI-Surf to follow in terms of viewers.

Due to the writers’ strike, it may be quite some time before HI-Surf premieres. A lot of shows are being put on hold because of it, like Abbott Elementary and Stranger Things. However, since a premiere date hasn’t been officially set yet, there could be some flexibility there. The series does sound like a pretty intriguing one, and there can never be too many procedurals, so it’s going to be exciting to see what happens with it, even if it did come at the cost of 9-1-1.

No other information on Rescue: HI-Surf has been released, including a cast. Depending on the strike, it’s possible more details will be released in the coming months, As of now, we’ll just have to wait and see what HI-Surf is really about, but luckily, fans can still watch 9-1-1 on Fox for a couple more weeks until the season finale on Monday, May 15 at 8 p.m. ET.