The FBI franchise is going to look radically different moving forward. Sure, the flagship show has been renewed, and there are plans for additional spinoffs, but FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted have been canceled. And now that we've been given a proper reason for their cancelation, we're a little bit irritated.
CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach referenced the canceled FBI spinoffs on May 7, noting that the network loves working with franchise creator Dick Wolf writ large. She also told Deadline that the reason the spinoffs were sent out to pasture was, well, money. FBI: International and Most Wanted weren't generating the income that CBS had come to expect from them.
CBS blamed FBI cancellations on "finances"
"We have to be fiscally responsible and ultimately, those deals and the shows just weren’t penciling out for us from an economic perspective," Reisenbach noted. "We always have to look at all of our shows, look at the aggregate information, the creative of where they are in their life cycle, what the finances look like, what the ratings are, and then we make those tough decisions."
It's disappointing in so much as it's not surprising. A bottom line is important, of course, but it seems as though the CBS slate for the upcoming season is particularly hard to crack. Reisenbach noted that it's "not easy" to pull the plug on beloved shows, but the wide range of "options" sped up the process. In another television climate, its possible FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted could have secured extra seasons. Which makes their cancellation even tougher to swallow.
While it may be frustrating to see CBS singing the praises of shows that it has decided to cancel, it does make sense given that the network plans to push the franchise in a new direction. In addition to the flagship series, CBS is in the process of casting the CIA spinoff for the 2025-26 season. Lucifer star Tom Ellis has already been attached as one of the two leads, and procedural TV veteran Eriq La Salle has been tapped to direct the pilot.
The current FBI lineup will air in new time slot
Amy Reisenbach assured fans that CBS is ready to reunite with Dick Wolf on another FBI title, and has high hopes for what the spinoff can do. "We love working with Dick Wolf and we’re so excited to bring CIA onto the schedule," she asserted. "We want to be in business with Dick."
The decision to cancel FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted also means a schedule change for the franchise. Instead of airing as a three hour block on Tuesdays, CBS decided to move FBI and its brand new spinoff to a two hour block on Mondays. NCIS will take over Tuesday, given that the franchise has enough shows (NCIS, Origins, Sydney) to occupy three hours.
The process of whittling down FBI has not been fun for us or the actors, but at least we can take solace in the fact that the franchise still exists, and will forge ahead with new spinoffs. As for the annoyance, well, that's going to take a little longer to wear off.