ABC’s popular 9-1-1 franchise, created by Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story, Eat, Pray, Love) and Tim Minear (The Inside, Drive, Wonderfalls), may be heading to a tropical new location for its next spinoff. According to Deadline, Hawaii has emerged as a leading contender to set the stage for the latest installment in the first-responder drama series. While the project is yet to be officially greenlit, Hawaii’s scenic allure and unique challenges capture the attention of ABC and 20th Television, the studio behind the franchise. This potential move to America’s 50th state follows the series’ original settings in Los Angeles (9-1-1) and Austin (9-1-1: Lone Star).

According to Deadline, Hawaii’s lush, paradise-like landscape fits the aspirational tone that Murphy’s shows often embody, much like his recent series, Doctor Odyssey. With its iconic beaches and vibrant culture, Hawaii would offer a dynamic backdrop distinct from previous 9-1-1 settings. However, the challenges of filming in Hawaii, particularly financial ones, are large. Also mentioned by Deadline, Hawaii is historically a high-cost location for TV production, with the need for transportation, logistics and infrastructure contributing to significant budget constraints. This has posed issues for linear TV shows as budgets have faced cuts in recent years.

This budgetary challenge has impacted production before. For instance, CBS recently canceled NCIS: Hawaii after three seasons, despite impressive ratings as the #12 most-watched broadcast show. While shows such as Gilligan’s Island, Lost and Magnum P.I. have made Hawaii famous on TV, production costs have made it difficult for newer shows to thrive without significant financial adjustments. According to Deadline, one recent exception is Fox’s Rescue HI-Surf, a first-responder series set in Hawaii, which managed to meet its network’s budget constraints by casting lesser-known actors, keeping expenses between $3M-$4M per episode.

According to Deadline, the original 9-1-1, which stars Angela Bassett (Black Panther, Damsel, Waiting To Exhale), reportedly costs nearly double the per-episode budget of Rescue HI-Surf, while 9-1-1: Lone Star with Rob Lowe (The Outsiders, Unstable, The West Wing) also demands significant resources. This played a role in the decision not to transition Lone Star to ABC after its current season wraps on Fox. Instead, Murphy and Minear are exploring the possibility of launching this Hawaii-based spinoff, though the project remains in early script development.

Whether Hawaii will become the next chapter in this series remains to be seen. However, for now, the state’s unique mix of natural beauty and financial complexities presents both an enticing and challenging opportunity for the 9-1-1 team.