AlthoughChicago Fireis NBC’s top-rated drama, the firefighter and paramedic-centered series isn’t doing as well as its top rating might suggest. WhenChicago Firefirst premiered in 2012, it was unique among primetime dramas because of its focus on rescue workers, setting a trend that resulted in other fire-centered shows such as CBS’Fire Country. However,Chicago Fireseason 13has been a more challenging season, in part because Fire Chief Wallace Bowden (Eamonn Walker) left Firehouse 51, signifying the most major cast change in the series' history.
Bowden’s exit left room for the new chief, Dom Pascal (Dermot Mulroney) to shake up Firehouse 51. Pascal’s goal is to run a tighter ship than Bowden did, which has led to constant conflicts with Severide (Taylor Kinney) and Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo). This season has also seen other changes to theChicago Firecastsuch as Damon (Michael Bradway) being transferred out after continually refusing to obey orders at fire scenes. Additionally, fan-favorite Cruz’s (Joe Miñoso) job is in jeopardy after being blackmailed into taking part in a robbery at Firehouse 51 that went sideways.
Chicago Fire Season 13 Tops NBC’s Non-Sports Programs
All Three One Chicago Shows Are Doing Well
At first glance,Chicago Fireis NBC’s biggest success in the 2024-2025 season. When compared to all other NBC shows, it is the #2 show, with the only program outdoing that beingSunday Night Football(viaTVLine). Thus,Chicago Fireis NBC’s top-rated scripted show, pulling in a total of 4.8 million viewers. Additionally, when compared to all of broadcast television, this series is the fourth most-watched series, thus giving it a competitive edge despite the issues it’s facing.
Pascal’s Warning To Severide In Chicago Fire Season 13, Episode 9 Makes Him A Hypocrite
Pascal and Severide have been working well together, but when Kelly is called in for an OFI teaching gig, Pascal is upset he wasn’t informed first.
These strong numbers make it likely thatChicago Firewill be renewed for season 14. Interestingly, all of theOne Chicagoshowsare top-rated, withChicago Medcoming in just behindChicago FireandChicago PDranked slightly lower than its medical counterpart. This demonstrates thateven after over a decade on the air, theOne Chicagofranchise is still NBC’s strongest performer, withChicago Firedoing especially well. This is impressive both because of the series' longevity and numerous cast changes that could have knockedChicagoFireout of the top spot.
Chicago Fire Season 13 Loses 8% Of Its Viewership From Season 12
The Decline Is A Serious Loss of Viewership
AlthoughChicago Fireis NBC’s top-rated scripted show, it still lost a significant number of its viewers from season 12. An 8% loss is less bad than several other NBC shows, but it is still concerning thateight of every 100 people who watched season 12 have opted not to continue with the series. Additionally,Chicago Medhas significantly closed the gap and could overtakeChicago Firewith a dedicated advertising campaign.Chicago Firehas always been the top-rated of theOne Chicagoshows, so it should take these threats to its position seriously.
It was likely that some people would opt not to watch now that Bowden was no longer in the series even though other parts of the audience might have tuned in to find out what his replacement was like.
There are several reasons thatChicago Firemight be losing viewers. The network television industry has never fully recovered from the writers' and actors' strike of 2023, and shows across the board have lost viewers. InChicago Fire’scase, losing Bowden was also a significant problem, as he had been the chief of Firehouse 51 since the series premiere. Thus, it was likely that some people would opt not to watch now that Bowden was no longer in the series even though other parts of the audience might have tuned in to find out what his replacement was like.
How Chicago Fire Season 13 Can Revitalize Its Storytelling
The Series Needs To Get Back To Basics
WhenChicago Firefirst began, it was unique because it depicted firefighters and paramedics realistically. This type of show had not been done sinceEmergency!in the 1970s, and the realistic scenarios made it attractive. The early episodes were also unafraid to demonstrate how dangerous a career firefighting is, and characters sometimes died unexpectedly while fighting fires,leading to stories that were both emotional and true to life.
Unfortunately, the personal storylines have overshadowed the cases of the week in recent years. This has been an issue with all of theOne Chicagoshows, but it has been particularly pronounced inChicago Fire.After 13 seasons, it can be harder to keep the audience’s attention, so it’s understandable that the series has relied more on outrageous plots such as the Cruz blackmail story. However,these types of stories make it feel more like a soap opera than a serious drama.
Since Pascal came on the show with a mission to reform Firehouse 51, the series should lean into that and let the firehouse politics and rescue stories feed into one another.
to regain its audience,Chicago Fireshould return to focusing on the dangerous rescue missions it was once known for. However, since Pascal came on the show with a mission to reform Firehouse 51, the series should lean into that and let the firehouse politics and rescue stories feed into one another.
Chicago Fire
Cast
Chicago Fire follows the lives of firefighters, rescue squad members, and paramedics of Firehouse 51 in Chicago as they face professional and personal challenges, showcasing their dedication, teamwork, and resilience.
