Tyler Perry Officially Making New 16-Part Chicago Fire Netflix Replacement Series

1 week ago 18

Published Mar 3, 2026, 9:31 AM EST

Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.

Tyler Perry's new show for Netflix has officially been confirmed.

Now, according to Variety, Perry is developing a new Netflix series, titled Where There's Smoke. The 16-episode drama will focus on the lives of firefighters both at work and at home, "saving lives in a world filled with danger, drama and heartbreak." Filming for the series has already begun in Atlanta, Georgia.

The ensemble cast of the firefighter series, alongside their character names, have been revealed as well: Tyler Lepley as Owen, Mike Merrill as Cameron, Da’Vinchi as Noah, Eltony Williams as Jermaine, Brock O’Hurn as Ethan, Joe Hunter as Chief Bailey, Karen Obilom as Laura, Brittany S. Hall as Angela, Mariah Goodie as Rhonda, Jordan Rodriguez as Brent, and Judi Moon as Darcy.

Nothing is known about the characters nor which of them are firefighters, and which are not. Either way, the show is promising a similar approach to that of Chicago Fire's story — alongside the story of other firefighter TV shows — where there's a balance between character drama and the cases the team tackles in each episode.

Where There's Smoke has a high chance of becoming another core success for Perry on Netflix. Beauty in Black previously succeeded in spending multiple weeks on Netflix's Top 10 for the premiere of every new batch of episodes. It too contains 16-episode seasons, each released in batches of eight. It's unclear if the new show will follow the same format.

Either way, the show will become one of the many ongoing series Perry has on his plate. Aside from the Madea franchise, he's also the creator of House of Payne and its various spinoffs, including the ongoing Assisted Living. He also produces political dramas The Oval and Ruthless, as well as the comedy drama Zatima.

Even with so many TV shows under his belt, Where There's Smoke is poised to be another successful venture for the creator on Netflix. With the show already filming, more information is likely to arrive sooner rather than later about what to expect from the Perry-produced series.