When Does Chicago Fire Return? Why the One Chicago Franchise Is Taking a Break and For How Long
After more than a decade on air, Chicago Fire is NBC’s most-watched primetime show averaging about 6.5 million viewers each week. Therefore, it can be difficult to keep track of when new episodes or reruns are airing. If you noticed that tonight’ episode is old, you may be wondering: When does Chicago Fire return in 2023 and when will Season 11 come back on? Keep reading to find out.
Related Story
Chicago Fire is NBC’s first responder drama series following the professional and personal lives of firefighters and paramedics of the Chicago Fire Department’s Firehouse 51. The first season premiered in October 2012 and the show is currently in its 11th season. There have been 253 episodes of the Chicago-based TV series produced by Dick Wolf (who also works on the FBI and Law & Order franchises on NBC). The show was created by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, who teamed up with Wolf Entertainment in 2011 to start Chicago Fire. The One Chicago franchise currently consists of Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med (Chicago Justice was canceled after one season).
In an interview with Collider in 2012, Haas and Brandt talked about how Chicago Fire came to be. “We were approached by Dick Wolf and Danielle Gelber, who works for Dick. They had talked to NBC, with the new regime coming in, and said that they wanted to do a show about firemen,” Haas explained. “So, we got a phone call from them saying, ‘Would you guys be interested?’ and we leapt at the chance.”
Brandt also revealed how the cast first met and the immersive firefighter environment they experienced right away. “The first time the actors all met each other was in Chicago at the Fire Academy. They spent the next few days, if not longer, training as firefighters, and then they all went to different firefighters around Chicago and did 24-hour shifts,” Brandt also told Collider at the time. “They slept with the guys, and they rode with the guys in the middle of the night. They all were thrown in, right away, and that bonded them, really quickly. Three of our actors are all roommates and they were all instant best friends. It was really exciting to see that whole thing come together because Derek and I wrote a script last year.”
NBC recently announced that Chicago Fire — as well as Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med — were all renewed for the 2023-2024 season. Chicago Fire has brought in 9.5 million total viewers this season, which is the most of any primetime drama on NBC. So when does Chicago Fire return? Below, find out when Season 11 is officially coming back to NBC.
When does Chicago Fire return in 2023?
When does Chicago Fire return in 2023? The next new episode of Chicago Fire Season 11 will be on May 3, 2023, which is when One Chicago’s other shows, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med, will also return to NBC. A title name or summary for the Season 11, Episode 18 of Chicago Fire hasn’t been announced yet. According to Parade, NBC’s shows, including the One Chicago franchise, often take a break in April.
Where is Chicago Fire filmed?
Where is Chicago Fire filmed? Chicago Fire and the other One Chicago shows are all filmed in Chicago, Illinois. The building used for the firehouse exterior shots is a working Chicago Fire Department firehouse, Engine 18, located at 1360 South Blue Island Avenue. Meanwhile, the interiors are filmed at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, the largest independent movie studio outside of Los Angeles. “We thought Chicago would be a great city to set it in, since Rescue Me had been done in New York, and Chicago was born out of this great fire,” Haas also told Collider. “So, we said, “Put us on a plane to Chicago and let us research. We spent three weeks in firehouses in Chicago, and then wrote the show.”
The show films all over Chicago, and residents might recognize shots from the Magnificent Mile in the city’s downtown or aerial views of the Chicago River. NBC revealed that the producers of Chicago Fire wanted Firehouse 51 to have a sliding poll (which was even included in the pilot episode). But, because most of the new Chicago firehouses are one-story buildings, Chicago Fire decided to get rid of the pole to stay authentic to Engine 18. Other fan-favorite locations include Molly’s bar, which is actually Lottie’s Pub, a bar located in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago. However, to prevent disruptions to Lottie’s business, later seasons of the show recreated the interior of the bar at Cinespace for Molly’s scenes. When Chicago Fire actors have to interact with the law enforcement officers of Chicago P.D., some scenes are filmed at the police station located just around the corner from Engine 18.
Who’s in the Chicago Fire cast?
Who’s in the Chicago Fire cast? The Chicago Fire cast is led by Lieutenant Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), who is currently taking a leave of absence to deal with personal issues. (It’s unknown if Kinney will return to Chicago Fire this season or if we have to wait until Season 12 to see Severide again.) While Severide was gone, the show had a special guest appearance from Captain Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer), who exited the show in 2011. Spencer explained on a press call in 2021 that he left Chicago Fire to spend more time with his family. “As a lead, you don’t want to leave a show. But I wanted to leave the show. It was time for me,” Spencer said, calling his exit “bittersweet.”
There are only a handful of cast members who have remained on the series since the very beginning, including firefighters Christopher Herrmann (David Eigenberg), Chief Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker), Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) and Randall “Mouch” McHolland (Christian Stolte). The show also welcomed Paramedic Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer) in Season 3 and Lieutenant Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) in Season 4. Unfortunately, we’ve had to say goodbye to plenty of beloved characters over the years, including Otis Zvonecek (Yuri Sardarov), Gabby Dawson (Monica Raymund), Leslie Shay (Laura German) and more.
See the full Chicago Fire cast of Season 11, below.
- Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide
- Kara Killmer as Sylvie Brett
- David Eigenberg as Christopher Herrmann
- Joe Minoso as Joe Cruz
- Christian Stolte as Randall “Mouch” McHolland
- Miranda Rae Mayo as Stella Kidd
- Alberto Rosende as Blake Gallo
- Daniel Kyri as Darren Ritter
- Hanako Greensmith as Violet Mikami
- Eamonn Walker as Wallace Boden
- Randy Flagler as Capp
- Katelynn Shennett as Kylie
- Anthony Ferraris as Tony
- Jake Lockett as Sam Carver
Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.
Check out our photo gallery of Chicago Fire stars and their real-life relationships.
