Why did Connie Britton leave 911?

Connie Britton came into 911 in the first season and abruptly left at the end of it. Why did the actress leave the popular FOX series?

There were a few driving factors into people tuning into 911. One of them was Connie Britton. Fans of Friday Night Lights and Nashville immediately wanted to check out the series to see one of their favorite actresses.

Britton played Abby, the 911 dispatcher who would end up in a relationship with firefighter Buck. Personally, she was dealing with her mother’s ailing health due to dementia. After her mother’s death, Abby needed to figure out what to do with her life, and at the end of the first season, she suddenly left.

She did this without telling Buck where she was going or when she would be back. Buck did gain some closure a few seasons later, but it didn’t see the permanent return of the character. Why did Britton leave the series?

Why Connie Britton left 911 after one season

It turns out that Britton came into the show for one season and one season only. There was always the chance that she could up her contract and remain, but she didn’t want to do that. The whole reason she left Nashville was because she was tired of TV work.

We’ve seen her since on TV, but she’s returned to one-season projects. Just look at The White Lotus Season 1.

The one-season agreement isn’t that surprising when you consider Britton and Ryan Murphy, who is behind 911, have a good working relationship. This was a new show for Murphy, and Britton was going to appear to help him get the series off the ground, repeating American Horror Story. When she returned, it was to bring closure for the fans, but there was never the intention of returning full-time, and everyone knew that.

911 airs Mondays at 8/7c on FOX. Catch up the following day on Hulu.