Is Chicago Med Season 9 completely off the table? Here is everything we know about the current season of this beloved series from the
One Chicago franchise.
It’s that time of the year when all the major networks announce their fall schedules and are all set to release new promos for the new season, which the fans have been waiting to see on their television screens after months of hiatus in order to get into the mood by diving right into last season’s plotlines and character arcs, which they have loved to binge watch for years! But this time around, things for the Hollywood series have taken a major hit, as many shows that are usually a part of the fall broadcast season will not be gracing our screens anytime soon.
Yes, you heard it right! This is an unfortunate report that we hate to break to you, but it is crucial to clear up all the raging rumors about this One Chicago series’ future that are picking up like wildfire all over social media because it has not been long since the series was recently renewed for a highly anticipated 9th season. As a result, the fans are questioning whether the fate of the series has landed at a dead end because of the ongoing strikes, which include the Writers Guild of America strike along with the SAG-AFTRA strike, or whether the series is still on the NBC renewal list.
So, if you are wondering the same thing and want to get clarification about whether the sign is still positive towards Chicago Med Season 9 happening or not, then we can assure our beloved readers that you have reached the right place to get all the answers! For your convenience, we at Web News Observer have compiled all the latest developments that have been happening behind the scenes at the NBC network in order to give you a better understanding of the road ahead! Continue reading to find out more about the future of Chicago Med Season 9.
Chicago Med Season 9: Is it canceled or not?
Much to our reader’s delight, as of writing this, we can assure you that NBC still intends to air season 9 of Chicago Med, and there are no hints by the network to scrap the series anytime soon, especially after giving it an early renewal this year because of the amazing reception it has been able to gather since its inception back in 2015 as a part of the One Chicago franchise in terms of viewership and viewers appreciation from the audiences around the world who have been religiously streaming this medical drama television series.
Although the series isn’t getting canceled, we would like to highlight that there are some major changes happening with the new season release as it is reported to not be a part of NBC’s 2023-24 fall streaming season because of the ongoing strikes, which includes SAG-AFTRA and WGA, as they have joined together on the picket lines, due to which the production of major series and movies has come to a stop, putting Hollywood on hold leading to the entire 2023-24 fall broadcast schedule being revised as there is no guarantee when they will reach an agreement.
Hence, there is no doubt in our mind that these two strikes are going to play a major part in causing delays in the production of Chicago Med Season 9, which usually begins around late July each year for the creators to successfully premiere new episodes by the fall release window for the respective works. Unfortunately, we don’t think that these strikes will be resolved anytime soon because both the writers and actors have joined forces until a favorable agreement is reached that benefits both parties, which is completely understandable as they are the backbone of the entertainment industry!
We predict that the production won’t be able to begin in earnest by August, and the premiere dates of these shows will now be further postponed. This means that there is also no likelihood of Chicago Med Season 9 returning at a later date this year. We think that NBC might also be opting to head in the same direction its competitor networks which are ABC and CBS, who have decided to shift the release dates for all the scripted shows until early to mid-2024 by scheduling all the nonscripted shows for the rest of the year, which usually doesn’t require any writers and actors.
In conclusion, we are hoping that NBC will also review the fall lineup and release a new schedule, for which the best release window will be set for sometime around early to mid-2024, with the show airing in the same time slot every Wednesday at 8 P.M. EST, preceded by Fire at 9 p.m. EST and followed by P.D. at 10 p.m. EST, in order to avoid any further disruption caused by the strikes and disclose new details in the near future! In conclusion, it’s only a matter of time before the modified broadcasting schedule becomes known to the viewers.
Chicago Med Season 9 Plot: What to expect in the new season?
Though it is far too early to predict future storylines, the new season is likely to maintain the show’s theme, which follows:
Members of the city’s most highly skilled medical team save lives while navigating their unique interpersonal relationships. The Gaffney Chicago Medical Center’s elite team of dedicated doctors, nurses, and staff face challenges each day as they do what it takes to treat their patients, sometimes in surprisingly inventive ways. As the city’s last line of defense, doctors Charles, Halstead, Marcel, Choi, and Manning; nurses Sexton and Lockwood; and hospital administrator Sharon Goodwin embody the heart of Dick Wolf’s triad of Chicago series.
“I’m pleased to continue my four-decade relationship with Universal Television and NBC,” Wolf said in a statement. “All six shows 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.”
*Spoiler Alert*
Recently, NBC Insider also highlighted that Chicago Med Season 9 would likely pick up the nail-biting ordeal where Chicago Med’s fearless boss Sharon Goodwin is fighting tooth and nail to prevent Jack Dayton (Sasha Roiz) from turning the hospital into a for-profit hospital. This is a possibility to be explored further; we’ll just have to wait and see what happens next. The One Chicago’s success will help to generate buzz, ratings, and increased viewership, which will be great for the next seasons to explore more plotlines and character arcs.
On the other hand, the plot will also pick up from the 8th season’s finale, “Does One Door Close and Another One Open?” which was directed by Nicole Rubio and written by Diane Frolov & Andrew Schneider. In the episode, the viewers get to see that “Shocking information threatens Jack Dayton’s surgery and the future of OR 2.0; Archer goes rogue to save a patient in need; Maggie questions her future at Med.” Take a look at the official finale promo of Chicago Med Season 8 in order to get an idea about the plot that has transpired so far, in case you haven’t streamed the show yet!
Chicago Med Season 9 Cast: Who will and will not return?
The main cast members from the last season who are speculated to return are as follows Dominic Rains as Dr. Crockett Marcel, Marlyne Barrett as Maggie Campbell, Guy Lockard as Dr. Dylan Scott, Jessy Schram as Dr. Hannah Asher, S. Epatha Merkerson as Sharon Goodwin, Oliver Platt as Dr. Daniel Charles, and Steven Weber as Dr. Dean Archer.
The recurring cast includes Brennan Brown as Dr. Sam Abrams, Devin Kawaoka as Dr. Kai Tanaka-Reed, Conor Perkins as Dr. Zach Hudgins, Lilah Richcreek Estrada as Dr. Nellie Cuevas, T.V. Carpio as Dr. Grace Song, Sasha Roiz as Jack Dayton, Luigi Sottile as Sean Archer, Alet Taylor as Liliana Wapniarski, and Stan Shaw as Dr. George Thomas.
Sadly, there are some major cast members who have confirmed that they have left the show. The recent list includes Nick Gehlfuss as Dr. Will Halstead, Brian Tee as Ethan Choi, and Asjha Cooper as Vanessa Taylor. There can be many characters who have left the beloved series, so there is a big chance that some new additions or removals from the cast can be announced for the next season, which will be revealed later if it ever happens.
“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. “A huge thank you to Dick and his amazing team who are the masters of producing incredibly compelling television week after week.”
Lastly, the American medical drama television series Chicago Med, created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead, is the third installment of Wolf Entertainment’s Chicago franchise. It is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment. The crew also includes Dick Wolf, Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider, Stephen Hootstein, Derek Haas, Arthur Forney, Matt Olmstead, Michael Brandt, and Peter Jankowski as executive producers.
Halstead will always hold a special place in our hearts 💚 pic.twitter.com/5Jms039hPQ
— One Chicago (@NBCOneChicago) June 8, 2023
Chicago Med Season 9 Episodes: Where to stream?
It looks like this time around, the new season, which usually is expected to include at least 22 episodes with an average runtime of 40 to 44 minutes in order to remain consistent, will be undergoing drastic alterations, with its official count being reduced to 18 to 20 episodes due cost-cutting and the ongoing strikes which will further delay the production and completion of scripts as it doesn’t seem to resume any work anytime later this year.
To add more confirmation to this update, NBC Chicago also reported that the ongoing strikes could also result in the season being shortened due to the lack of episode scripts written by the writers and the actor’s inability to resume their work until a proper resolution is made in their favor. “They could be forced to cut seasons short or delay filming altogether,” the outlet added.
The chances of this season being shorter than others are bound to happen, as the writers won’t have to rush to finish writing the scripts for so many episodes in such a short amount of time once the strike is over. Therefore, it makes sense if they want to maintain its high standard by not trying to stretch plots. It’s much better to get a condensed season with good-quality plotlines than try to release all 24 episodes in this situation!
Chicago Med Season 9 Official Trailer: Has it been released?
Despite being renewed back in April 2023, we are saddened to report this to our readers, but the filming status is neither here nor there, but we speculate that the production will commence once the Writers Guild of America strike along with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike reaches a resolution, as it’s only then that the writers and actors will get the proper time to resume their work and create episodes that will follow up the series storyline and character arcs, which the audience loves to watch.
In short, due to the halt in production, no new teaser or trailer has been released for Chicago Med Season 9. Until then, we encourage viewers to speculate about the storylines that may be explored to extend the One Chicago franchise for more seasons. All the prior seasons of Chicago Med are currently available on NBC, FuboTV, Hulu Plus, and Peacock.
The series is also available to rent or buy on Amazon Instant Video or Vudu, with a vast number of membership plans according to the preferences of the users. Moreover, the series is also available to watch exclusively on the NBC official website, and you can also stream Chicago Med for free on NBC or IMDb TV, depending on the user’s location. You can also watch Peacock through platforms such as Fire TV, Apple TV Plus, and Roku.
welllll this is awkward pic.twitter.com/47u2qQeCr9
— One Chicago (@NBCOneChicago) July 14, 2023
While you wait for Chicago Med Season 9 to premiere, share your thoughts on the impact of the ongoing strikes in the comments.