According to a detailed new report, the cast of FBI and FBI: Most Wanted will have reduced roles in the new seasons. Co-created by Dick Wolf and Craig Turk, the police drama has been an important component in CBS’ programming. The original FBI series, which first premiered in 2018, has led to the spinoffs, FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted. Despite the main FBI show guaranteed season 7 from its headline-grabbing three-season renewal, significant changes are coming to the ensemble.
Deadline reports that the series regulars on FBI season 7 and FBI: Most Wanted season 6 will have their minimum guarantees trimmed by two episodes. The show’s co-producers, Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, declined comment. However, the move matches cost-cutting measures that have recently occurred on other broadcast network shows. FBI: International is said not to be impacted by this move.
FBI’s Cast Reduction, Explained
According to the report, the timing of the news tends to come after a renewal that is not accompanied by a license fee increase. In practice, the news will impact the number of episodic fees each main cast member is entitled to, regardless of how much they appear on-screen in any given week. Usually, for Wolf Entertainment, which is the production company created by Law & Order‘s Dick Wolf, that means 22 episodes per season. But after the reported reduction, each main cast member will be guaranteed payment for 20 episodes.
This means that producers will likely only use each series regular for 20 episodes since any additional episodes would require more payments. FBI: International season 4 is not impacted by this decision because of how the main FBI and the Most Wanted spinoff film in the U.S., which leads to higher production costs. The affected shows also have larger casts, filled with television veterans like Dylan McDermott, Edwin Hodge, and Missy Peregrym. FBI: International only has four regulars, with the departure of Luke Kleintank, and it has lower production costs since the spinoff films in Hungary.
Although budget costs are nothing new in television, it’s recently ramped up on broadcast TV due to an increased emphasis on reduced spending amid declining traditional ratings and less importance placed on broadcast networks. The same limitations have impacted Grey’s Anatomy on ABC, Superman & Lois on The CW, and now, it will also impact FBI season 7 and FBI: Most Wanted season 6.
