Summary
One of the most popular and longest-running franchises on network TV isOne Chicagoon NBC, which started when Derek Haas and Michael Brandt createdChicago Fireand released it in the fall of 2012, and was consecutively followed by three spinoffs —Chicago PD, Chicago Med,andChicago Justice.Every show in theOne Chicagoshared universehas had varying degrees of success. Some TV series have performed better than others, while one in particular was an epic fail many would rather forget about. Nevertheless, NBC’s procedural franchise has prevailed over the years, resulting in major milestones and impressive accomplishments.
Chicago Fire, Chicago PD,andChicago Medare still running on NBC as of the writing of this article, withChicagoFireseason 13,Chicago PDseason 12, andChicago Medseason 10 all releasing in the fall of 2024.
Each installment in theOne Chicagofranchise takes place in Chicago, Illinois,and revolves around different public service factions. All the show’s names refer to their specified public service —Firedepicts the firefighters and paramedics at Firehouse 51;PDfocuses on the Intelligence Unit at the Chicago Police Department’s 21st District;Medcenters around the doctors and nurses working in the emergency department at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center; andJusticefollows the prosecutors and investigators at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Over the years,One Chicagohas continued to dominate despite consistent cast exitsand has maintained strong ratings.
13
252
Michael Brandt and Derek Haas
12
221
Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead
10
176
1
4Chicago Justice
Premiered In 2017
The last place ranking of theOne ChicagoTV shows is the easiest asChicago Justiceis inarguably the worst out of the four.Chicago Justice,created by Dick Wolf and developed by Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, and Matt Olmstead, is the franchise’s third spinoff and premiered in March 2017 after its backdoor pilot (Chicago PDseason 3, episode 21) aired in May 2016.The legal drama only ran for 13 episodes before NBC canceled it after one season,referencing its disappointing ratings, lack of sustainability, and taking up space in the network’s lineup as reasons for its ending.
After NBC canceledChicago Justice,Philip Winchester joined the main cast ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitas Peter Stone in 2018.
Despitethe characters inChicago Justicebeing played by notable names (Philip Winchester as Assistant State’s Attorney Peter Stone, Joelle Carter as Investigator Laura Nagel, and Carl Weathers as Cook County State’s Attorney Mark Jefferies), the series didn’t attract the attention it needed to survive. The producers also transferred Jon Seda, who portrayed Antonio Dawson, fromthe main cast ofChicago PDtoChicago Justiceto attempt to reel in the franchise’s existing audience. However,the NBC TV show’s dull stories and characters failed to gain and sustain a large following,resulting in its cancelation.
Chicago Justice’s shortened run was undoubtedly disappointing for NBC and theOne Chicagoproducers. The series only had one season, while the three preceding shows have all made it to their tenth seasons and have released over 200 episodes (Chicago Medcurrently sits at 176 episodes after season 9’s release, but it’ll likely make it to 200). The legal drama crashed and burned epically, which might be why NBC hasn’t attempted to develop another spinoff. Whatever the case,there is a significant divide between the fourth-place ranking and the top three of the bestOne Chicagoseries, and it’s not close.
Chicago Fire, Med & P.D. Renewals Are A Reminder Of A Very Surprising Cancellation 7 Years Ago
All One Chicago shows have officially been renewed to return for the 2024-2025 TV season, which makes one old cancelation more peculiar.
3Chicago Med
Premiered In 2015
AlthoughChicago Medis eons better thanChicago Justice,the third installment in theOne Chicagofranchise can’t compare toChicago FireorChicago PD. The backdoor pilot for the medical drama, created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead and developed by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, debuted inChicago Fireseason 3, episode 19, which depicted Dr. Will Halstead’s first day at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center (the characters typically call it “Chicago Med” or Med"). Will is the brother of one ofthe best characters in theOne ChicagoTV shows— Detective Jay Halstead fromChicago PD.
Chicago Meddid a great job pulling viewers in with its engrossing stories and complex characters. Nevertheless, most of them are now gone, and their replacements aren’t as compelling, which is whyChicago Medcannot be ranked aboveChicago FireorChicago PD.
Despite its ensemble cast, Will has arguably been the protagonist of the medical drama from the beginning. His journey has been one of the most intriguing ones to watch, but several other characters have also had entertaining (and sometimes frustrating) arcs. However, now that most of the original stars are gone andDr. Will Halstead exitedChicago Medafter season 9, the TV series is expected to continue going downhill in season 10. With all the character exits, repetitive storylines, and unrealistic conduct,Chicago Med’s quality has certainly declined since its first season.
Dr. Mitch Ripley
Luke Mitchell
However,Chicago Medgot off to a fantastic start.The show premiered in 2015 and introduced fans of theOne Chicagouniverse to a new set of characterswho brought a breath of fresh air to the franchise. As mentioned above, Will was great at the beginning, as were Dr. Ethan Choi, April Sexton, Dr. Connor Rhodes, and many others.Chicago Meddid a great job pulling viewers in with its engrossing stories and complex characters. Nevertheless, most of them are now gone, and their replacements aren’t as compelling, which is whyChicago Medcannot be ranked aboveChicago FireorChicago PD.
2Chicago Fire
Premiered In 2012
Even thoughChicago Fireis the showthat started theOne Chicagoshared universe, it isn’t the best series in the franchise. However, it comes pretty close as it has maintained a strong following over the years and continues releasing entertaining episodes. The procedural drama, created by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, debuted in October 2012 and has been a success for NBC ever since.Chicago Fire’s ratings have consistently remained strong over the course of its 12 (soon to be 13) seasons, andit’s consistently one of NBC’s highest-rated TV shows.
All theOne ChicagoTV shows are filmed on location in Chicago.
Chicago Firefollows the lives (and relationships) of the firefighters and paramedics at Firehouse 51 in Chicago. When the series began, viewers fell in love with characters such asJesse Spencer’s Matt Casey, Taylor Kinney’s Kelly Severide, Monica Raymund’s Gabby Dawson, and so on.The characters' individual stories and complicated (and messy) relationships drew fans in,as did the intense action firefighting scenes. However, like most of theOne Chicagoseries,Chicago Firehas worsened as the seasons pass by (despite its high ratings).
Unfortunately, after being on the air for almost 13 seasons,Chicago Firehas gradually become more like a soap opera.The procedural drama seamlessly blended high-stakes action with emotional, gripping storylines during the early seasons. But nowadays, that magic has all but disappeared (much like most original cast members, includingEamonn Walker as Chief Boden afterChicago Fireseason 12). The NBC TV show still has some life in it, though, and no one can forget how fantastic the first seven seasons were, which is whyChicago Fireis among the franchise’s best.
1Chicago PD
Premiered In 2014
Chicago PDmight not be the originalOne ChicagoTV show, but it is the best. The police procedural action drama,created by Dick Wolfand Matt Olmstead and developed by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, is the franchise’s first spinoff. Its backdoor pilot aired duringChicago Fireseason 1, episode 23, in May 2013 and premiered in January 2014. AsOne Chicago’s first spinoff,Chicago PDhad a lot to live up to, given the stellar precedent set by its predecessor, and it more than exceeded expectations.
Like the otherOne Chicagoseries,Chicago PD’s quality has lessened since its first season, but its high ratings, bold storytelling, and complex characters push it to the top of the list.
TheChicago PDpilotdidn’t pull any punches as it killed off one of the characters who was seemingly going to be a regular on the show. Her death proved how dark the police procedural would be compared toChicago Fire,and it established the series' high stakes. Everyone was expendable,making the TV show terrifying but also exciting. Part of what makesChicago PDthe bestOne Chicagoshow is its dark, gritty, and ruthless nature,which separates it from the crowd. Its stories and characters are unforgiving, and like a car wreck, one can’t help but sit and watch.
88%
8.0
90%
8.1
75%
7.6
69%
6.8
Chicago PDalso includes complicated charactersviewers want to root for, despite their horrible deeds. Jason Beghe’s Hank Voight is a dirty cop who should be hated, but his development throughout the seasons has been one of the most intriguing arcs. Other fascinating characters, such as Sophia Bush’s Erin Lindsay, LaRoyce Hawkins' Kevin Atwater, and Jesse Lee Soffer’s Jay Halstead, have also made the police procedural as highly received as it is. Like the otherOne Chicagoseries,Chicago PD’s quality has lessened since its first season, but its high ratings, bold storytelling, and complex characters push it to the top of the list.
One Chicago
Developed by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, One Chicago is a multi-series television franchise that combines various public service/government organizations in Chicago, Illinois. Each series shares a timeline and universe, with multiple characters crossing over occasionally. The One Chicago universe began with Chicago Fire in 2012, with P.D., Med, and Justice comprising the remainder of one of NBC’s most successful primetime franchises.
