14 seasons into its fun, Chicago Fire continues to keep the heat on at NBC, captivating viewers and remaining one of the most-watched shows on the network. The show truly doesn’t get enough credit for bringing about a new era of firefighter dramas, as the success of Chicago Fire has inspired NBC’s competitors to launch their own firefighter dramas, leading to some of the biggest hits on the air.
Without Chicago Fire, there may never have been a 911 franchise, ABC likely never would have brought us the Grey’s Anatomy firefighter spinoff Station 19, and CBS may never have headed to Fire Country, which has led to its own successful shared universe. Now, it seems Netflix is ready to get into the firefighter game, as the streaming service has announced the pickup of a new firefighter drama from Tyler Perry coming soon to Netflix.
Netflix has announced the cast of the new firefighter drama Tyler Perry’s Where There’s Smoke, which will follow the lives of a group of firefighters as they navigate the intense daily challenges that come with choosing a career where every day brings new high-stakes challenges. Like in any good firefighter show, these characters will all be dealing with their own personal struggles, which will include navigating complicated relationships and the emotional toll of the job.
The series will star Tyler Lepley as Owen, Mike Merrill as Cameron, Da’Vinchi as Noah, Eltony Williams as Jermaine, Brock O’Hurn as Ethan, Joe Hunter as Chief Bailey, Karen Obilom as Laura, Brittany S. Hall as Angela, Mariah Goodie as Rhonda, Jordan Rodriguez as Brent, and Judi Moon as Darcy. Check out the first photo from from the show below:
Chicago Fire fans interested in the series will also be excited to hear that, unlike most Netflix episode orders, which come in the eight-to-ten-episode range, Netflix has handed out a 16-episode order for Where There’s Smoke! This will put the show’s first season just a few episodes shy of the season orders of the One Chicago shows, which is an automatic notch in the win column for the show.
Netflix has not yet announced a release window for the show, but we’re hoping the show will drop sometime during the summer. A summer release would be a perfect window for the show to drop, as it would come at a time when Chicago Fire and broadcast’s other firefighter dramas are off the air. This would make it a perfect show for One Chicago fans looking for something new to enjoy during the summer hiatus as they wait for Chicago Fire to return in the fall.
Regardless of when Where There’s Smoke debuts, it's exciting to see Netflix is looking to get into the firefighter drama business and will be bringing fans a new series to enjoy. Chicago Fire fans won't want to miss the series, but the reality is that it might also help inspire new viewers to give Chicago Fire a try for the first time.
While Where There’s Smoke's first season will be longer than the usual Netflix show, it will only be 16 episodes, so there is a good chance those who love the show will be looking to enjoy more firefighter series after. As One Chicago fans know, there is no better selection for those looking for firefighter series to enjoy than Chicago Fire and anything that can potentially bring new fans to the fandom all these years later is always a win!