NBC’s Chicago Fire has been experiencing some changes as of late, the biggest one being the departure of Jesse Spencer. Now, the series is getting another big alteration, but it's coming behind-the-scenes this time around. As it so happens, executive producer Andrea Newman is getting a major promotion.
The Chicago vet, who has served as co-executive producer since the first season, will now be joining co-creator, executive producer and showrunner Derek Haas as co-showrunner, according to Deadline. Besides Chicago Fire, Newman worked as a writer-producer on Felicity, Ed, Mister Sterling and 24. She was also the co-executive producer on Cold Case, Private Practice and Human Target.
The One Chicago series finds itself an interesting position at the moment. On top of Jesse Spencer’s exit as Casey, the firehouse also welcomed a new addition. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum Brett Dalton entered as Lt. Jason Pelham and, although not all of the characters are thrilled with the new character, it will be interesting for viewers to see how things progress moving forward.
Fans said goodbye to Casey during the 200th episode of Chicago Fire, and it was definitely a heartbreaker. However, perhaps the most heartbreaking was how the series ultimately did in ratings with that episode. The show did dip between the 200th and the 201st episodes, but it’s still doing relatively well overall.
But following Casey’s exit, there are still plenty of things to look forward to. Andrea Newman clearly has a lot of experience being on the show, meaning that Chicago Fire is in good hands with her and Derek Haas at the helm. Hopefully, the two can successfully put their heads together to keep the show consistent but also take the characters into interesting new places.
It’s also worth mentioning that with this recent promotion on Fire, it can now officially be said that all three of the One Chicago series now have women serving in as showrunner/co-showrunner capacities. Newman joins P.D.’s new creative lead, Gwen Sigan, and Med’s boss, Diane Frolov. It's honestly great to see that that beloved NBC franchise is being led by such capable creatives that just happen to be women. Let's hope this is a trend that only continues not just for these shows but for other primetime series as well.
After 10 seasons, Chicago Fire could likely use a bit of a change-up, though I wouldn't fret about the show changing too much. And I'd wager that at the moment, both showrunners are cooking up some great ideas. I mean, there's always something going on at Firehouse 51 and, though, it's not always good for the characters, it's usually entertaining for us viewers. Here's hoping Andrea Newman and Derek Haas can continue to churn out exciting stories.
You can catch Chicago Fire on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET, and be sure to check out CinemaBlend's fall 2021 TV schedule for more on shows that are returning and premiering at the end of this year.
