NBC struck gold when Chicago Fire debuted back in 2012. For many years now, fans have been treated to a whole, interconnected TV universe of shows about first responders because of it, and now CBS is looking to give the show that started it all some competition with its own series about firefighters, titled Cal Fire, that will have SEAL Team star Max Thieriot involved.
How Will Cal Fire Be Different From Chicago Fire?
Cal Fire comes from an original idea by SEAL Team’s Max Thieriot, and from the basic story as we know it right now, it will be a different animal from Chicago Fire, despite the very obvious similarities in the titles. According to Deadline, Cal Fire will focus on a young convict, Bode Donovan, who’s hoping to find some redemption, along with a shorter prison sentence, and joins a program for firefighters which will send him back to the small town in Northern California that he grew up in. There, he and other inmates will work with elite firefighters to stop the massive, widespread blazes which tend to plague the area.
Thieriot based the story on his time growing up in what’s known as Northern California fire country, and co-wrote the story with Joan Rater and Tony Phelan, who both worked on Grey’s Anatomy. Rater and Phelan will write the teleplay and executive produce, along with Thieriot, Jerry Bruckheimer, KristieAnne Reed, and Jonathan Littman, for Jerry Bruckheimer Television.
Will Cal Fire Impact Max Thieriot’s Role On SEAL Team?
Right now, Cal Fire is still pretty early in its development at CBS, so, there’s not really a timeline on when it could hit the small screen, or how many episodes it would have in Season 1, so it’s hard to completely tell how much time Thieriot would need to devote to his executive producing duties on the potential drama. But, fans of his who want to keep getting their Clay Spenser fix weekly on SEAL Team probably won’t have to worry a whole lot about seeing Thieriot’s role on the popular military series reduced.
For one thing, while it’s clear that the idea of Cal Fire is very near and dear to Thieriot’s heart, there’s no word right now that he’s planning to star on the show, or have any kind of on-screen role on it, at all. As you can likely imagine, being a major player on the series, and taking one of the leading roles, would be the main thing that would, potentially, keep him away from SEAL Team. So, seeing as how that doesn’t appear to be a part of the plan, he’ll probably continue to suit up for dangerous missions on the Paramount+ show.
Also, fans should keep in mind that it’s not uncommon for actors on big shows like SEAL Team to come up with and begin to produce their own ideas. NCIS: Los Angeles star Eric Christian Olsen is also doing the same thing, and is executive producing his own first-responder series currently in the works, Rescue: MIA.
Basically, it doesn’t seem necessary for SEAL Team fans to be worried that Max Thieriot’s Clay will leave or see a tragic end because of his commitment to Cal Fire, and we can all just relax and look forward to the potential new series.
SEAL Team is new on Paramount+ every Sunday, but for more to watch right now, check out our 2021 fall TV schedule!
