Chicago Fire Finally Heads to Syndication; Peacock Picks Up New Comedy Which Takes Place at a Singing Competition

Monday, June 14, 2021

Chicago Fire Finally Heads to Syndication; Peacock Picks Up New Comedy Which Takes Place at a Singing Competition

Can you believe Chicago Fire just finished its 9th season on NBC and the series still doesn't air in syndication (no cable, no local stations, etc.)? It only airs on NBC and in streaming. But now that is going to change a bit. ION Television has added Chicago Fire to its lineup, marking the first broadcast syndication deal for the long-running fan favorite series. Its agreement with NBCUniversal Global Distribution gives ION all nine seasons and 195 episodes of the popular drama from Dick Wolf's highly successful One Chicago franchise. ION will air Chicago Fire on Tuesdays beginning June 15, with episodes all day beginning at 11 a.m. ET. Chicago Fire joins sister series Chicago P.D., which is currently seen Thursdays on ION. The other Chicago series, Chicago Med, also currently doesn't air in syndication, despite it just finishing its sixth season. Meanwhile the flagship series Chicago P.D. airs in local syndication, MyNetwork TV, ION Television and on cable on USA Network & Oxygen.

Chicago Fire explores the lives, both professional and personal, of the firefighters, rescue personnel and paramedics of the Chicago Fire Department at the fictional Firehouse 51, as they risk their lives week in and week out to save and protect the citizens of their city. Executive produced by Dick Wolf and created by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, Chicago Fire is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment. Over the past nine seasons, the series has starred a stellar ensemble cast, which has included Jesse Spencer, Taylor Kinney and Eamonn Walker, along with Kara Killmer, Miranda Rae Mayo, David Eigenberg, Joe Miñoso, Christian Stolte, Alberto Rosende, Daniel Kyri, Monica Raymund, Lauren German, Yuri Sardarov and Charlie Barnett.

ION's impressive collection of hit off-network dramas also includes Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Blue Bloods, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, Hawaii Five-0, Criminal Minds and CSI: Miami, among others.

Take Note

Peacock announced the comedy series, Take Note, that follows a group of contestants from across the country competing in a fictional reality singing competition, Take Note. 10 half-hour episodes have been ordered, offering additional family and kids programming. The series will star Braelyn Rankins (Doom Patrol, Genius: Aretha) as Calvin Richards, Nadine Roden (Designated Survivor, Murdoch Mysteries) as Calvin's mom Bria Richards, Aadin Church (Broadway's Dreamgirls, Sister Act) as Calvin's dad Reggie Richards, and Sebastian Spencer (Overlord and the Underwoods) as Calvin's brother Jordan Richards. 14-year-old Calvin Richards has a wonderful, close-knit family who can survive anything as long as they're together. And good thing because Calvin was chosen to compete on a tween reality singing show - Take Note - and they're going to spend the summer navigating the crazy ups and downs of new friendships and competitions, while being thrust into the national spotlight. Take Note will introduce a new generation to Pop, R&B, Country, and Rock classics along with originals by emerging musicians written specifically for the series.