The world of television is an ever-changing landscape full of potential. You simply never know what is going to happen on your favorite TV shows, or how much they will change over time. From the good old days of procedural television to the juggernaut world of movie-like television on both streaming and cable, TV has evolved a great deal over the years, and it will no doubt continue to do so.
Audiences love drama, but they also love a good old-fashioned format; it's one of the reasons that network/broadcast TV never goes out of style. That's why some of the biggest franchises on TV are the 9-1-1 shows, the One Chicago series, and even The CW's classic Arrowverse (which ran from 2012 until 2024).
Now, one of those legendary TV show franchises is launching a new offshoot, and they've pulled in a classic Batman star to play the main role.
Chris O'Donnell will lead ABC's 9-1-1: Nashville
Chris O'Donnell has joined the cast of upcoming TV series 9-1-1: Nashville. As reported by Deadline, he is the first to be cast in the series and he will be joining it in a series regular capacity, starring as Captain Don Sharpe - a rugged fire captain and rodeo rider with a loving family who harbors his own secrets.
9-1-1: Nashville is set to air on ABC and it will serve as the second spinoff of 9-1-1, coming after the conclusion of Fox's 9-1-1: Lone Star. Produced by Ryan Murphy, the 9-1-1 franchise premiered on Fox, with both original shows airing there throughout the vast majority of their runs, but the mothership was moved to ABC ahead of its seventh season. Lone Star wasn't as lucky unfortunately, as it was cancelled after its fifth season.
Chris O'Donnell is no stranger to fronting a long-running TV series or an iconic franchise, as he starred in NCIS: Los Angeles for 14 years, playing the character of Special Agent G. Callen and leading the NCIS spinoff for all 14 seasons.
Comic book fans will also recognize O'Donnell as Robin from the original Batman movie franchise. He debuted in 1995's Batman Forever and reprised the role in ill-fated 1997 sequel Batman and Robin, which is widely considered one of the worst superhero movies ever made. His portrayal of Dick Grayson was met with praise after Forever, with the character's arc now being recognized as one of the most famous versions of Robin's backstory.
Along with Burt Ward of the classic 1966 Batman TV series and its movie spinoff, O'Donnell is undoubtedly the most famous actor to play the legendary Boy Wonder. The role very much defined the early part of his career, and even though the negative reception to Batman and Robin did impact that career, he found a new chapter for himself as the frontman of one of TV's most famous franchises. Now he gets to do it all again in 9-1-1: Nashville.
The show has a straight-to-series order and is expected to premiere on ABC in the 2025 - 2026 TV season.