The dreaded deep cuts on CBS‘ series slate are starting with two high-profile cancellations. The network is not renewing the FBI spinoffs FBI: Most Wanted, which will be ending after six seasons, and FBI: International, canceled after four seasons. Both Wolf Entertainment/Universal television series are headlined by big stars, Dylan McDermott (Most Wanted) and Jesse Lee Soffer (International), who moved to the offshoots from other Dick Wolf shows, Law & Order: Organized Crime and Chicago P.D., respectively.
The cancellations leave the highly rated mothership FBI, now in its seventh season and Year 1 of a three-year pickup, and potential new offshoot FBI: CIA, now in development at CBS. The axing of Most Wanted and International boosts FBI: CIA’s chances. A planted spinoff set to air as an episode of the mothership series, FBI: CIA is currently casting with several actors in negotiations. Based on the talent that gets attached, I hear the project would get a straight-to-series order.
It is unclear whether Universal TV and Wolf Entertainment will shop the two FBI spinoffs — which still deliver solid linear ratings that are on par or higher that several renewed CBS dramas, the CBS Studios-produced NCIS: Origins, NCIS: Sydney and Elsbeth — to other platforms. Last year, the companies were able to successfully move a Law & Order spinoff, Organized Crime, from NBC to Peacock.
If that doesn’t happen, I hear both FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International are still in production on their current seasons with several episodes to go, so they can adjust scripts to make the season closers work as series finales.
This marks a big reversal of fortune for the two FBI spinoff series which only three years ago commanded two-season renewals (alongside flagship FBI.) Like most Wolf procedural franchises, FBI runs as branded night on Tuesdays. Since a primetime lineup consist of three hours, it was clear that, to make room for FBI: CIA and keep the shows on the same night, CBS had to cancel one of the other spinoff. The network ended up canceling two.
The FBI franchise comes from an outside supplier, Universal Television. CBS has had a couple of difficult renewal negotiations with the NBCUniversal studio over the past couple of years, with financials believed to have played a role in today’s cancellations. (Renewal talks between the two sides for a sixth and potentially final season of Equalizer continue.)
In a cost-cutting move, last year both FBI and FBI: Most Wanted reduced the main casts’ minimum guarantees. (International was not impacted because it has a smaller regular cast, half of which are international actors.)
There is also the issue of shelf space. With a slew of current series renewed over the past couple of months including NCIS, NCIS: Origins, NCIS: Sydney, Tracker, Fire Country, Elsbeth and Matlock, CBS had to cancel existing dramas to make room for new ones.
The network already has two drama slots reserved on next season’s schedule for new series Sheriff Country, a spinoff from Fire Country, and Boston Blue, an extension of the Blue Bloods universe.
In addition to FBI: CIA, CBS also has a potential Equalizer spinoff starring Titus Welliver in the works and a high-profile drama pilot Einstein starring Criminal Minds alum Matthew Gray Gubler.
In addition to Equalizer, also still on the bubble is another drama from an outside studio, Sony TV’s twice-canceled S.W.A.T. It’s still early for new CBS Studios-produced midseason drama Watson but it looks promising for renewal so far.
With FBI: Most Wanted canceled, it is unclear whether Shantel VanSanten, who had recently moved from FBI to the spinoff, would go back. Her character had a baby with Scola from the mothership series in Season 5 of Most Wanted. Wolf’s universe is known for having actors and characters migrate from one series to another within the same franchise or not.
