CBS is officially greenlighting a new series in the “FBI” franchise focused on CIA agents.
Tom Ellis is attached for one of the two lead roles in the drama, which is currently titled simply “CIA.” It is set to air during the 2025-2026 broadcast season.
The show was first reported to be in the works back in January, though at the time there were plans to have it begin as a backdoor pilot, with characters to be introduced during an episode of the current season of “FBI.”
The official logline states:
“‘CIA’ is a one hour crime drama centered on two unlikely partners – a fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon CIA case officer (Ellis), and a by-the-book, seasoned and smart FBI agent who believes in the rule of law. When this odd couple are assigned to work out of CIA’s New York Station, they must learn to work together to investigate cases and criminals posing threats on U.S. soil, finding that their differences may actually be their strength.”
Casting for the remaining roles is ongoing.
The show hails from writers Dick Wolf and David Hudgins. Both are executive producers along with Nicole Perlman, David Chasteen, and Peter Jankowski, with Hudgins set as showrunner. As with the other shows in the “FBI” franchise, “CIA” is produced by Universal Television in association with Wolf Entertainment and CBS Studios.
News of the pickup comes just under two months after it was reported that both “FBI: Most Wanted” and “FBI: International” had been canceled at CBS. “FBI” is currently in the first season of the three-season renewal it received in 2024.
CBS has been high on expanding its existing franchises of late, with the broadcaster currently working on several more such projects. The network is also currently working on a spinoff of “The Equalizer” starring Titus Welliver and Juani Feliz and a spinoff of the multi-cam comedy “The Neighborhood” starring Marcel Spears and Sheaun McKinney. CBS has already ordered the “Fire Country” spinoff “Sheriff Country,” as well as the “Blue Bloods” spinoff “Boston Blue.”
Ellis is best known for starring in the series “Lucifer,” which was based on the DC Comics version of the Prince of Darkness. The show aired for three seasons on Fox before it was canceled, with Netflix picking it up and airing an additional three seasons. His other TV roles include the Hulu series “Tell Me Lies” and the hit British comedy “Miranda.” He is also set to star opposite Sterling K. Brown in the upcoming Hulu limited series “Washington Black.”
He is repped by CAA, Hamilton Hodell, Anonymous Content and Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett & Kole.
