CBS has officially expanded its long-running FBI franchise with a brand-new installment: FBI: CIA. In a strategic and confident move, the network has bypassed the traditional pilot process and ordered the show straight to series for the Fall 2025–2026 television season.
The announcement comes amid a wave of changes in CBS’s crime procedural lineup, including the recent cancellations of FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International. With FBI remaining the flagship, FBI: CIA is now positioned to carry the franchise into a new era.
🔍 What Is FBI: CIA About?
FBI: CIA will center around a joint FBI-CIA domestic counterterrorism task force, bringing together agents from both agencies to combat high-level threats within the United States. The series promises to explore themes of loyalty, secrecy, and the ethical lines crossed in the name of national security.
The story will follow two lead characters:
- A by-the-book FBI special agent trained in criminal profiling.
- A resourceful and unorthodox CIA operative with shadowy methods and hidden motives.
Together, they must learn to work through their differences as they uncover conspiracies that threaten national stability.
🧠 The Creative Team Behind the Show
The show is being helmed by Dick Wolf, the mastermind behind the entire FBI and Law & Order universes, alongside several new collaborators:
- Nicole Perlman, known for Guardians of the Galaxy, brings cinematic storytelling.
- David Chasteen, a former CIA operations officer turned screenwriter, joins the writing team to bring authenticity to intelligence operations.
According to CBS executives, the series aims to be “sharper, more psychologically intense, and more morally complex” than previous installments.
📺 Why CBS Skipped the Pilot
CBS made the rare decision to skip the pilot process, signaling high confidence in the show’s concept and team. Sources say the series was greenlit based on a powerful pitch, a tight initial script, and the franchise’s proven track record.
CBS has used this strategy before with successful results. Notably, NCIS: Hawai’i and FBI: Most Wanted both received straight-to-series orders. With FBI: CIA, the network hopes to build on that success and inject new life into its Tuesday night lineup.
🔄 Franchise Strategy: Replacing What Was Lost
The debut of FBI: CIA helps fill the void left by the departures of FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted. It also ensures that the franchise retains two shows in active production:
| Show | Status | Airing |
|---|---|---|
| FBI | Renewed (Season 8) | Tuesdays at 8/7c |
| FBI: CIA | New Series (Fall 2025) | Tuesdays at 9/8c |
According to CBS, the two shows will exist in a shared narrative universe, allowing for potential crossovers, guest appearances, and multi-episode arcs that involve both FBI and CIA operations.
🎬 Production & Cast
Filming for FBI: CIA is scheduled to begin in August 2025, with casting currently underway. No official cast announcements have been made, but the show is expected to include:
- A mix of new faces and returning franchise actors.
- Possibly recurring characters from FBI: International or FBI: Most Wanted.
Production will be based in New York City, allowing the show to remain visually and narratively connected to the existing FBI series.
🔮 What To Expect
CBS is betting big on FBI: CIA to refresh its procedural drama lineup. With a unique premise, high-stakes storytelling, and the backing of seasoned creative talent, the show is expected to:
- Address modern security threats, like cyberterrorism, disinformation, and insider threats.
- Explore inter-agency tensions between the FBI and CIA.
- Introduce morally gray storylines that challenge viewers’ perceptions of patriotism and justice.
🧩 Final Thoughts
FBI: CIA signals a bold evolution of the franchise, moving beyond traditional crime-solving into the shadowy world of intelligence, espionage, and psychological warfare. As CBS looks to balance legacy with innovation, this new spin-off could redefine what viewers expect from a network procedural.
Fans of the franchise—and of political thrillers—should mark their calendars: FBI: CIA is coming this fall, and it’s bringing the spy game to primetime.
