Chicago Fire fans should brace themselves for disappointment on Wednesday night as no new episodes of any One Chicago shows are scheduled to be aired.
While the popular procedural returned to our screens in January, the show will be on hiatus for the next three weeks and airing repeat episodes. This goes for all dramas in the One Chicago franchise.
© NBCNew episodes will return on May 1 and will continue through to the season finale.
As fans prepare for three weeks of reruns, they may be wondering why exactly One Chicago is taking a break from our screens. We've done some investigating, and here's all we know…
Why is One Chicago on hiatus?
While the show usually has a mid-season break, last year's SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes have had a knock-on effect. Filming for the current seasons of the franchise was delayed, resulting in shortened seasons with gaps between some episodes. This means fans can expect just 13 episodes, rather than the usual 22.
While filming for One Chicago usually begins in the summer, the strikes caused production on various film and TV series to shut down. This meant that the writers' room reopened in October and filming was delayed until late November.
Changes to Chicago Fire season 12
The shortened seasons aren't the only changes that have been made to season 12 of Chicago Fire.
There have been some shake-ups within the cast, perhaps most notably the departures of longtime series regulars Alberto Rosende and Kara Killmer.
Kara left the show after 199 episodes when her character Sylvie Brett departed the Windy City for Portland after tying the knot with Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer).
© Getty Images"It's bittersweet, but it's definitely more sweet than bitter," the actress told Variety following her final episode. "I'm so happy that Sylvie gets her happy ending, and it's a great closure for her tenure."
Meanwhile, Alberto's character Blake Gallo decided to move to Michigan to be closer to his newly discovered family. The actor made his final appearance in the season 12 premiere.
However, Kara and Alberto aren't the only actors to leave the show this season. Rome Flynn, who played the role of Jake Gibson, was written out after six episodes.
© GettyOpening up about his exit from the drama, Rome said: "Just like all the fans, I was sad to see Gibson leave. He was a character I very much enjoyed playing."
Expressing his hopes for a potential comeback in the future, the actor told Variety: "I had a wonderful experience during my time on Chicago Fire and have great respect for the cast and crew and hope to team up with Dick Wolf again when the time is right."
It's not all sad news, though, as a new firefighter is set to join the Firehouse 51 crew in the form of Jack Damon, who's played by Michael Bradway.
© @michaelbradway_/InstagramWhile details about his character have been kept under wraps, Michael shared his excitement about joining the cast in a post on Instagram. "Got to be a part of the Chicago Fire Family for Season 12! Can't wait for you guys to see it next week!" he wrote.
Chicago Fire returns on Wednesday 1 May at 9/8c on NBC.
