It was probably inevitable that the worlds of FBI and CIA would eventually collide on a TV show from Dick Wolf, the king of crime procedurals. It is happening on FBI: CIA, a planted spinoff from Wolf’s hit CBS drama FBI, which is targeting a potential series order for the 2025-2026 season.
Written by Wolf, FBI: Most Wanted showrunner David Hudgins, Nicole Perlman (Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, Captain Marvel) and former CIA officer David Chasteen, the proposed offshoot will be introduced in an upcoming episode of FBI this season, which will serve as backdoor pilot.
In it, a dedicated, strait-laced FBI agent and a street-smart CIA agent are part of a new, clandestine taskforce charged with solving and preventing domestic terrorism in and around New York City.
Three characters, including the FBI and CIA agent leads, will appear in the planted spinoff episode, airing this spring, and would become series regulars should the project go forward. Casting is currently underway for the roles.
FBI: CIA is executive produced by Wolf, Hudgins, Perlman, Chasteen and Wolf Entertainment’s Peter Jankowski. Like the rest of the FBI franchise, the series would be produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and CBS Studios.
By combining the monikers of two government agencies, the FBI: CIA title may inspire some sendups in the vein of Adult Swim’s crime procedural parody NTSF:SD:SUV::.
With its New York setting, FBI: CIA would live in the same universe as FBI and FBI: Most Wanted, allowing for crossovers, something Wolf has mastered on his shows. (Wolf Entertainment’s Law & Order franchise also is set in the Big Apple but its NBCUniversal home would make cross-pollination difficult.)
It’s unclear what a series pickup for FBI: CIA would mean for FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International, which is set in Europe. Last spring, CBS renewed the mothership FBI for three seasons, through 2026-27, while Most Wanted and International were given one-season pickups, which are up in May.
Primetime consists of 3 hours, so it is TBD whether CBS could accommodate four FBI series next season; if that happens, at least one will have to air on a different night. FBI, FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International currently air as an FBI-branded night, with all three shows drawing respectable audiences, led by flagship FBI, one of CBS’ most watched series.
CBS has been leaning into franchises for next season, with potential spinoffs from drama The Equalizer (also from Uni TV and CBS Studios) and comedy The Neighborhood also in the works. The network already has a Fire Country spinoff, Sheriff Country, on tap for a 2025-26 launch.
