What exciting surprises do the creators have in store for the fans of Chicago Fire’s new season? Here is everything we know so far about Chicago Fire Season 12.
Are you ready, beloved Chicago Fire fans? The time to feel another adrenaline-fueled journey alongside the courageous firefighters, paramedics, and rescue squad of Firehouse 51 is right around the corner, as the new season promises to deliver another explosive blend of intense drama and heartwarming camaraderie that will leave you on the edge of your seat!
So, if you are one of those who is wondering what happens next, then you have reached the right place to know everything relating to all the latest updates for the new season. Especially for you, we’ve compiled a quick rundown of everything you need to know about the recently renewed 12th season of this beloved drama television franchise from NBC’s One Chicago.
Continue reading to find out all the details about Chicago Fire Season 12.
Chicago Fire Season 12 Release Date: When will it premiere on NBC?
Even though the series was renewed earlier this year along with its sister shows, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med, it doesn’t mean that the show will premiere sooner than you think. The official premiere date of Chicago Fire Season 12 has yet to be acknowledged! Though there are positive signs for the fans to look forward to as the potential release window of Chicago Fire Season 12 is confirmed to be part of the 2023–24 fall broadcast season!
The new season will likely premiere in the fall of 2023, with September being the likely time frame, and it is expected to premiere every Wednesday night. In order to maintain consistency, there will be a similar gap, and it will premiere new episodes at the same time slot of 9 p.m. EST, preceded by Med at 8 p.m. EST and followed by P.D. at 10 p.m. EST. We would also like to highlight that there is a high chance that the series’ release might be impacted by the ongoing writer’s strike.
As there are many reports circulating confirming that the writing for the upcoming season has not started due to the temporary halt in the writer’s room – thanks to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, which is quite unfortunate when we consider the fact that filming usually begins by the summer season if the network is aiming for its fall release later this year. So, if we look at the current status, one thing is rather obvious the network might be considering some crucial changes to its fall schedule.
In conclusion, the next season can eventually be released sometime in 2024! Only if the production doesn’t start in August and the creators decide to postpone the filming until later this year, which will take time to complete the post-production before delivering the new episodes to the fans! On the other hand, there is still a chance that the only update we get in the coming weeks will be that the network decides to publish the show’s revised release dates in order to avoid further confusion.
One of the other reasons why the season might eventually be released sometime in early to mid-2024 is that this isn’t the only hurdle on the way because if you have been keeping up, then you’ll know that SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP are in dispute, and if for some reason they can’t come to an agreement, before the guild announced that the contract expires on July 12, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PDT, for which just a few hours are left, it can cause an actor strike, which will cause more delays in the official release!
The actors union and the studios and networks group have also said in a joint statement:
“The parties will continue to negotiate under a mutually agreed-upon media blackout.” Due to this, the network might completely pivot as the writer’s and actor’s strike will add more fuel to the fire and join hands together, which will undeniably cause the entire One Chicago series to be postponed for good despite evaluating the overall reception and viewership, which will be quite disadvantageous.
At last, we’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds. Until any official confirmation, the readers are requested to be patient and catch up with the prior seasons of the series, as such confirmation usually takes some time to get approved by the network. Also, check out the official Twitter handle of the show announcing the release window of One Chicago’s new season with their followers, quoting: “More drama is on its way! One Chicago returns Wednesdays this fall on @nbc and streaming on @peacock.”
More drama is on its way! One Chicago returns Wednesdays this fall on @nbc and streaming on @peacock. pic.twitter.com/09k6tVmiO4
— One Chicago (@NBCOneChicago) May 12, 2023
Chicago Fire Season 12 Plot: What to expect in the next season?
This series will once again delve right into the professional and personal lives of the firefighters and paramedics of Firehouse 51 as they risk their lives every day to save and protect the citizens of Chicago. Even though the series was renewed earlier this year, it is too early to predict future storylines, but we are certain that the new season is intended to carry the story forward, which includes some of the following predictions, which we have summarized for you below:
*Spoiler Alert*
In the wake of a fire/extremist threat, Mouch’s life hangs in the balance. Sylvie’s relationship with Dylan came to a close, and a new door opened as Casey proposed to her, all the while as she was looking to adopt an infant girl. Stella makes the decision to leave Chicago in hopes of bringing Kelly back. That’s not all. After looking at these points, one thing is certain the next season will definitely pick up plotlines and character arcs from the last season’s final episode, “Red Waterfall,” in which the viewers get to see the following events:
The viewers get to see that Brett travels to Indiana, hoping to receive life-changing news. Firehouse 51 is called to the scene of an accident. Stella notices something in the SUV and alerts Boden. Herrmann is taunted by one of the victims he saved at a call and went to a psychic parlor. Casey returns and proposes to Brett. Mouch is injured during a call and is rushed to Chicago Med. Initially, he seems fine, but later he loses consciousness and flatlines.
“I’m pleased to continue my four-decade relationship with Universal Television and NBC,” One Chicago creator Dick Wolf said in a statement. “All six shows [including the Law & Order franchise] being picked up again is the ultimate accolade to our incredible casts, producers, and writers. I’d also like to thank our loyal fans who have kept our NBC shows on the air for what will be a cumulative 84 seasons.” In the meantime, check out the official promo of the last season’s final episode to recall what has transpired in the series so far:
Chicago Fire Season 12 Cast: Who will and will not return to the series?
According to Deadline, after striking a deal with NBC on budgets that will put the series on the air for another season, One Chicago producers Universal Television and Dick Wolf’s studio-based Wolf Entertainment are also cutting talent expenditures. In order to keep budget expenses down, there may be a cast shake-up which will be disclosed later. So, the main cast members, among other recurring cast members who are speculated to return in the new season, are as follows:
Kara Killmer as Paramedic Sylvie Brett, David Eigenberg as Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann, Joe Miñoso as Firefighter Joe Cruz, Christian Stolte as Firefighter Randy “Mouch” McHolland, Miranda Rae Mayo as Lieutenant Stella Kidd, Alberto Rosende as Firefighter Blake Gallo, Daniel Kyri as Firefighter Darren Ritter, Hanako Greensmith as Paramedic Violet Mikami, and Eamonn Walker as Deputy District Chief Wallace Boden.
“We understand the emotional connection our audience has with these characters and we can’t wait to bring more of their stories to the forefront next season,” Lisa Katz, the president of scripted programming at NBCUniversal and Streaming, said in a statement. Further adding, “A huge thank you to Dick and his amazing team who are the masters of producing incredibly compelling television week after week.”
Lastly, this series has also gone through plenty of changes as Taylor Kinney is on a temporary leave of absence from the show due to a personal matter. Moreover, Jesse Spencer, who returned as Matt Casey in the 11th season finale, might not be a part of the main cast as he stated, “The idea when I left the show was that if it was appropriate and it would work with the storyline they wanted to do, I would be open—and they would be open—to bringing Casey back,” Spencer told NBC Insider.
He didn’t appear in the season finale of the last season, and former cast member Jesse Spencer, who has portrayed Captain Matthew Casey, returned in a guest-starring role in Kinney’s absence for the season finale. Since then, no confirmation about his character’s return has been hinted at, leaving a slight chance that his character might not appear until the next season.
So, these cast members, which include the main, recurring, and guest star cast, are still subject to change because the network may subsequently make announcements about other cast members who will join or leave the series. Moreover, the series’ executive producers are Dick Wolf, Derek Haas, Andrea Newman, Michael Gilvary, Reza Tabrizi, Arthur Forney, and Peter Jankowski. It is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.
Chicago Fire Season 12 Episodes: How many will be there?
The next season is speculated to consist of a 22-episode order with a runtime of 42 to 44 minutes, which is expected to air on a weekly basis. It is intended to follow the same count to maintain the season’s flow. We’d also like to point out that the titles and synopsis have not been released. These details will be revealed once the release date draws closer to avoid any early leaks about the respective plotlines and character arcs.
We would also like to emphasize that NBC Chicago reported an unfortunate update which indicates that the ongoing strike could also result in seasons being shortened due to the lack of episode scripts and the writer’s room not resuming their work until a proper resolution, which will eventually lead to production delays. “They could be forced to cut seasons short or delay filming altogether,” the outlet added, which will be quite unfortunate but for the best in order to avoid another delay!
So, there are many chances that the customary 22-episode count might be reduced to 18-20 episodes for this upcoming season. Of course! It can only happen if the production is further delayed later this year and the network still wants to release the show by early 2024 in order to be consistent. As of writing this, we can only predict what the show creators have decided about the future of this One Chicago series, which will let the fans finally reunite with the beloved Firehouse 51 crew for more amazing twists and turns that this American drama television series is known for!
Chicago Fire Season 12 Official Trailer: Is it available?
We would like to highlight that currently, there is no official teaser or trailer for Chicago Fire Season 12 because the filming hasn’t even begun, which makes it way too early for the network to produce any new content.
The production is reported to begin sometime in August once the scripts are completed and the strike reaches a resolution to avoid hurdles. Until then, we encourage viewers to speculate about the storylines that may be explored to extend the One Chicago franchise for more seasons. For international viewers, the series aired on Global and then moved to CityTV in Canada. Whereas, in Malaysia, the series aired on PRIMEtime for eight seasons, then moved to Universal Channel Asia and AXN Asia.
Moreover, the entire three series of One Chicago are available to watch on NBC’s official website and app, where the episodes are published after they air on the channel. The show is also available to stream on Peacock, FuboTV, and Hulu Plus. You can also stream the series by renting or purchasing on Amazon Instant Video or Vudu, with a vast number of membership plans. The previous seasons of this beloved franchise are also available to stream for free on IMDb TV, based on the user’s location.
things are really coming together for Brett 🥺 #ChicagoFire #OneChicago pic.twitter.com/iVqGAfPcKh
— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) June 7, 2023
While you wait for more Chicago Fire Season 12 updates on Web News Observer, catch up on the previous seasons on NBC.