Chicago Fire: NBC wanted to make sure there were enough episodes to fill the amount of time left before the summer show ended.

It feels like we were just getting to a groove with Chicago Fire, and now it’s gone. Well, at least for a little bit. The firefighting drama still has a handful of episodes left in season 11, but it has been confirmed that none of them will be airing in April 2023.

In fact, we won’t be getting any new episodes until May. Wednesday, May 2, to be exact. There are a few different reasons why this is the case. One is that NBC wants to make sure that the show has enough episodes to fill out the rest of its time slot before the summer programming takes over.

When does Chicago Fire return on NBC?

Chicago Fire, and its peer shows, Chicago Med and PD, typically go into May before handing the reigns over to the network’s other shows. This is standard operating procedure, even if it feels like the franchise had a few too many hiatuses during the 2022-23 season.

The other reason is scheduling. Taylor Kinney leaving Chicago Fire was a bit of a production hiccup, and the showrunners had to figure out a way to get his character out of the show while leaving the door open for his return.

The show has also had to contend with the return of Jesse Spencer as Casey, in what was initially believed to be an extended role but is now being discussed as a one-off appearance. There has been lots of scheduling changes made to accomodate the actors, especially in comparison to the other One Chicago shows.

Chicago Med and PD will both be wrapping up production on their respective seasons this week, while Chicago Fire will continue filming until new episodes air in May.

It’s unclear how much this shooting schedule has impacted the release date, but it would make sense that the writers would want more to time to ensure that they can churn out the best quality episodes during the home stretch of season 11. The season finale is slated to air on Wednesday, May 24.