We know that every December, all the networks put their shows on the winter break. Some of the networks do this by November, while CBS has started pushing its schedule to as close to Christmas and the New Year as possible. That was the case in 2025, with FBI season 8 airing its two-hour fall finale on Monday, Dec. 15.
With a date like that, we didn’t expect a long wait for new episodes of the series. This is where we end up with some disappointing news. FBI season 8 won’t return in January 2026.
CBS is holding back its winter returns
FBI is not the only show on hold. It joins the whole current schedule, with some shows not even coming back until March because of the way the weeks fall. As for FBI season 8, it will return on Monday, Feb. 23 at 9/8c.
The Monday night lineup will differ a little compared to the fall 2025 schedule. Watson is on the move to Sundays, opening the door for the new FBI spinoff series, CIA, to land the Monday night 10/9c time slot. It’s the plan that was supposed to happen in the fall!
What’s with the delay? Well, we can blame the Winter Olympics for this one, but CBS is opting for a good plan, even if we’re not happy about the wait. While NBC, ABC, and FOX all have January episodes of their shows, they’ll need to go on a break in February when the Winter Olympics begin. Then, they’ll return in February.
CBS opted to Olympics-proof its schedule. Rather than taking a break after a few episodes, the entire season is put on hold until February. This allows for more consistency once the series does return.
FBI season 8 won’t have many breaks after its return
On top of that, we have the consistency on the other side of the winter break. When shows return in January, there’s usually around 20 weeks to fill before the finales air in May, and there’s usually only around 10 new episodes. That means an on-off schedule.
Well, CBS is protecting that schedule a little. By holding off with FBI’s return by around eight weeks, it means there may be one two-week break to stretch the available episodes to May. That’s not too bad, and it can be timed with events going on throughout the year, whether it’s March Madness or Easter.
So, in the end, this longer break is worth it. We’ll get more consistency come February, and we’ll get two FBI shows running back-to-back!
FBI season 8 returns on Monday, Feb. 23 at 9/8c on CBS.