Rob Lowe Admits ‘It Feels Like the End of an Era’ Amid Rumors ‘9-1-1 Lone Star’ Is Ending
Fans of 9-1-1: Lone Star are eagerly awaiting news about its future after season 5, and star and executive producer Rob Lowe is offering some answers.
“We all went into it pretty much knowing that it was going to be the last season, so that affected everything we did,” Lowe told Variety in an article published Thursday, August 1, suggesting that the Fox hit might be nearing the end of its run. “We wanted to really show everybody what is still possible in network television if people have the appetite to do it.”
He continued, “It feels like it’s probably the end of an era of a certain type — well, it doesn’t feel like it. It is the end of an era of a certain type of show we once had an opportunity to make, and I think they’re great.”
Lowe highlighted the "scope and scale" of the stories told on Lone Star, emphasizing the team's dedication to showcasing the value of such programming. “We wanted to go out making our case for the value of shows like that,” he noted, “and I think we did a really good job.”
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Rumors swirled earlier this year that the 9-1-1 spinoff had wrapped its final season after several cast members shared cryptic messages via social media in June. Season 5 is set to premiere this fall.
While the fate of 9-1-1: Lone Star remains uncertain, Lowe isn't short on projects. The second season of his Netflix series, Unstable, debuted on Thursday, and he's even hinted at revisiting one of his most iconic roles. In a recent chat with Entertainment Tonight, Lowe teased the possibility of a sequel to the beloved 1985 rom-com St. Elmo's Fire.
“We’ve met with the studio and I have been talking about doing it for about four months,” Lowe revealed last month.
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The original film, a defining piece of the '80s Brat Pack era, starred Lowe alongside Andrew McCarthy, Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy and Judd Nelson as they navigated the trials of young adulthood. Lowe played the troubled saxophonist Billy Hicks, a role that solidified his status as a teen heartthrob.
The buzz around a potential sequel has been fueled by the recent release of McCarthy's Hulu documentary Brats. The film explores the impact of the "Brat Pack" label — a term famously coined by New York Magazine — on the actors’ careers. While McCarthy reflects on the challenges the label brought, Lowe has embraced the legacy, celebrating the group's influence on 1980s youth culture.
Even with the renewed interest in that era, regarding the potential St. Elmo's Fire sequel, Lowe remains cautiously optimistic.
“But it’s very, very, very, very, very early stages,” he told ET. “So we will see.”