We Dispatched 9-1-1 Fans To Share Why They’re Obsessed —Here’s What Came Through

There’s TV, and then there’s 9-1-1. The beloved, high-octane ensemble show is like a fever dream for fans of procedural dramas. Set in Los Angeles at a fictional firehouse, 9-1-1 follows not just fire and rescue, but also the police officers, paramedics, and first responders that serve one of the country’s busiest and most sprawling cities. With a knockout cast led by Angela Bassett and a propulsive balance of high-stakes emergencies and emotional drama, this show had me hooked from the very first “911, what's your emergency?”

The 10th season premieres October 15 on ABC (and streams the next day on Hulu), making now the perfect time to talk to my fellow die-hards about what elevates 9-1-1 into a league of its own. The answer I got the most is surprisingly wholesome, given that this is a show where characters routinely get impaled by shrapnel, trapped in burning buildings, and capsized on open water: found family.

“I love how the team is always there for each other,” one fan gushed. “The emergencies are fun, but the found family theme is the heart of the show.”

Everyone I spoke to had a different favorite character: Athena Grant (Angela Bassett), the fearless and compassionate LAPD sergeant (who was just promoted to Detective) and leader of the crew; Henrietta “Hen” Wilson (Aisha Hinds), the deeply empathetic paramedic who fights to keep her family together; Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark), the charming firefighter who starts the series as a playboy, but has settled down into a loving foster parent. “The personal stories keep me invested,” a day-one fan shared. “And there are so many diverse, multidimensional characters. You don’t see that much.”

And then, of course, there are the jaw-dropping, edge-of-your-seat emergencies that keep fans tuning in to see what fresh hell awaits each week. From tsunamis and killer bee swarms to a shark dropped on the LA freeway, 9-1-1 delivers disaster in a way only Ryan Murphy can: larger-than-life spectacles that up the ante time and time again. As one fan summed it up, “this show is just insane, in the best way possible.”

The upcoming milestone tenth season will raise the stakes — and imperil the lives of its brave first responders once again — with an explosive premiere episode, in which an active volcano erupts on streets of Los Angeles. We will, as the kids say, be sat.

Here are more dispatches from 9-1-1 devotees who are counting down the days until the October 15 premiere.

New season of 9-1-1 premieres Thursday, October 15 at 8/7c on ABC. Stream on Hulu.