CBS has made some surprising and confusing cancellation decisions in the 2024–2025 TV season. While there was speculation that at least one of the FBI shows would go due to the talk of a new spin-off series in the franchise, very few believed that both would be canceled. Yet, CBS chose to cancel both FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted at the same time. While this decision hurts, it isn’t as bad as a decision made in 2024, when CBS canceled a three-season series that is still talked about across social media.
Back in April 2024, CBS decided to cancel NCIS: Hawai’i, leading to backlash from viewers. As much as I would love FBI: Most Wanted season 7 and FBI: International season 5, it still hurts that Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) and her team are no longer on TV screens week after week.
Why CBS’ Cancelation Of FBI: Most Wanted & FBI: International Is So Controversial
The FBI Franchise Is Still Strong In Linear Ratings
There is no doubt that the cancellation of both the FBI spin-offs was the biggest shock. The two shows continue to perform well in the linear ratings, and while they are not as strong as they once were, they perform better than some of the series that were renewed just weeks earlier. TV Series Finale shows a ranking of the same day linear ratings, putting both the FBI spinoffs ahead of the renewed NCIS: Origins, NCIS: Sydney, and Elsbeth. Canceling shows that are still performing well leads to questions about what CBS wants, and it puts many other shows in jeopardy.
The two shows continue to perform well in the linear ratings, and while they are not as strong as they once were, they perform better than some of the series that were renewed just weeks earlier
One of the downsides of the FBI series is that they are expensive to film. They are licensed via an outside network, Universal TV Studios, and that creates cost implications and negotiating difficulties. FBI: Most Wanted’s cast negotiated new terms that involved not all cast members being in every episode as a way to help keep some of the costs down to make the series financially viable for CBS. The flagship series did the same, landing a three-season renewal in 2024, so there are many questions about why this couldn’t happen again for Most Wanted.
How CBS Canceling NCIS: Hawai’i Is Worse Than Ending FBI: Most Wanted & FBI: International
NCIS: Hawai’i Still Has A Cliffhanger Unresolved
Despite the hurt, there is still one CBS cancellation that hurts even more. When CBS canceled NCIS: Hawai’i in April 2024, many were shocked, including the cast members. CBS and the series had been negotiating a fourth and final season order at the time when the news broke, and the decision to outright cancel the series didn’t make any sense. While the linear ratings for Hawai’i weren’t the strongest, like Most Wanted and International right now, they were still stronger than some of the renewed shows of that year, with NCIS: Hawai’i ranking 16th as the most-watched series across all networks throughout the season.
On top of that, the NCIS universe is a CBS-owned brand. The FBI franchise is a rental from Dick Wolf, which comes with an added cost and a more difficult negotiation process. The money gained from the NCIS shows goes back into CBS’ pockets in full, so it makes more sense to for CBS to keep NCIS: Hawai’i rather than relying on negotiations with other studios.
Most importantly, the two FBI shows are still filming their final set of episodes, which means the writers have time to tweak the season finales. They can remove any potential cliffhanger storylines, closing out the two shows in a way that makes the most sense to fans. NCIS: Hawai’i didn’t take that chance, ending with a major cliffhanger that could have been wrapped up with one final season.
Why FBI: Most Wanted & FBI: International Can Still Be Saved By A Different Platform, But Not NCIS: Hawai’i
NBC Could Save The FBI Franchise
CBS and its owners, Paramount Global, have continued to ignore the calls to save NCIS: Hawai’i. There is currently a takeover in progress with Skydance working on acquiring Paramount Global, but even that company has ignored the calls rather than even mentioning a hope of reversing the decision. We continued to be left with the unresolved cliffhanger for a series that was diverse, inclusive, and well-written, making the cancellation continue to grate on audiences.
While there is still a fight to save NCIS: Hawai’i, it is much easier for FBI: Most Wanted or International to be saved at this point. The two shows are still filming, and the casting options are still intact. It would make it easier for another network to make a deal with Universal TV Studios to take on the series, and there are homes that make sense considering it is a Dick Wolf show. NBC or Peacock would make a lot of sense considering they are NBCUniversal-owned networks and already have the Law & Order and One Chicago franchises.
