Hit NBC drama Chicago Med has been rocked by a surprising behind-the-scenes development after nine seasons. The show, which is the second spinoff of Chicago Fire, first premiered in 2015. Andrew Dettman was originally announced as its showrunner but stepped down before the premiere due to creative differences. Diane Frolov and Andy Schneider have served as showrunners since the series’ debut. They’ve helped make Chicago Med a huge hit for NBC, and the show was recently renewed for season 10.
Per TVLine, Frolov and Schneider will leave Chicago Med after season 9. The husband-wife duo released a statement revealing their imminent departure from the show. Read their full comments below:
We were honored to be chosen by Dick Wolf to run Chicago Med and have tremendously enjoyed our association with Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television. We love Chicago Med and have devoted all our creative energies to it, but after nine seasons we feel it’s time for us to move on and explore other possibilities. We’ve been privileged to work with a great writing staff, production team and a brilliant cast of actors. We will miss them all.
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While it’s unclear whether the departures of Frolov and Schneider are amicable, it is clear that this leaves a big hole for Chicago Med to fill. No successor has yet been announced, and this is a decision that will need to be made with careful consideration. The pair were instrumental in the show’s success, and news of their departures follows that of several series regular cast members leaving, including Nick Gehlfuss in Chicago Med season 8. As such, there’s a chance that creative differences with Wolf Entertainment may have led to the decision.
In terms of narrative direction and storylines, work for Chicago Med season 10 will need to start happening soon, and one of the silver linings of replacing showrunners is that this could provide a new vision and creative direction for the show, which is integral for a program approaching a decade on primetime television. Reinvention is essential for creative success, and this represents an unexpected but exciting chance for the show to transform itself.
There are reasons for optimism for One Chicago as a franchise, with all three shows already renewed for next season and the opportunity for fresh creative perspectives on the horizon. Whoever is appointed showrunner for Chicago Med season 10 will have a strong cast to work with and a juggernaut show that still brings in millions of viewers every week. The next few years could be bright and exciting for One Chicago, and viewers will no doubt be hoping for a strong future.
