Tonight will officially mark the premiere of CIA on CBS, bringing an end to what has been a winding road for the embattled FBI spin-off to this point. The series has been in development since early 2025, with plans for a backdoor pilot that never ultimately came to fruition. Instead, it was handed a straight-to-series order and given a big name as its face — Lucifer star Tom Ellis. The series is in good hands with FBI helmer Mike Weiss taking the reins as showrunner. Now, the titular national security agency is online and running smoothly, and we're excited to introduce viewers to the latest thrilling procedural from Dick Wolf and David Hudgins as part of Collider's Exclusive Preview event for upcoming spring television series and films.
As part of the seasonal event, we can share a new sneak peek promo that both teases the return of FBI Season 8 and shows how CIA and its agents operate as the other side of the same coin. Both teams are united in their purpose, with one saving people in the light while the other operates in the shadows. The new series will be a bridge between the two worlds, casting Ellis as a loose-cannon case officer named Colin Glass and One Chicago alum Nick Gehlfuss as his unlikely, by-the-books FBI officer partner, Bill Goodman. When first assigned to work together out of the CIA's New York station as part of a secretive FBI-CIA fusion cell, they initially butt heads while learning how to work together to bring down threats to U.S. soil. As they become more familiar with each other, however, this crime-solving odd couple will realize that their differences in approach to the law may in fact be their greatest strength over their enemies. With a little time, the fast talker and the "boy scout" may even learn to like each other.
The premiere will be a critical first test for the new pair. Titled "Directed Energy," the episode begins with a top-secret U.S. weapon being stolen from a defense contractor in broad daylight, a matter of utmost importance that requires the expertise of both the FBI and CIA. Bill is thus thrust together with Colin to investigate and learn what it means to work in espionage. Helping with Bill's transition will be a familiar face for FBI fans — Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine (Jeremy Sisto), who delivers the good news that he's been selected to join the special program linking the two agencies. Jubal will also be busy on the FBI side of things, as he's seen rallying the agents for an explosive case. There will definitely be a bit of a learning curve for Bill as he transitions to working with Colin, given the more covert nature of the job, particularly in a position so under wraps that even other FBI agents aren't familiar with it.
'CIA' Will Feature Plenty of Crossover With 'FBI'
In addition to Ellis and Gehlfuss, CIA will also feature Tell Me Lies alum Natalee Linez as CIA analyst Gina Gosian and Mayor of Kingstown regular and NCIS alum Necar Zadegan as the deputy chief of the CIA's New York station. Compared to the mothership series, it's a smaller main team so far, but that merely emphasizes the relationship between Colin and Bill. With Weiss as the showrunner, viewers can expect a lot of crossovers between CIA and FBI, too. Already, Missy Peregrym and Alana de la Garza are locked in to reprise their respective roles as special agents Maggie Bell and Isobel Castille on the new spin-off, while Zadegan will transfer over for a team-up with the New York bureau. These two teams will not only make the world of FBI feel bigger but also offer new stories and experiences for both to navigate.
CIA begins tonight at 10 PM ET/ 9 PM CT on CBS, right after FBI Season 8 returns at 9 PM ET. Check out our exclusive sneak peek above and stay tuned here at Collider for more exciting reveals from our spring preview series throughout the week.
CIA Season 2's Fate Officially Decided By CBS After Rocky Season 1 Production
The fate of CBS' new FBI spinoff series, CIA, has now been decided.
CBS confirmed that CIA has officially been renewed for season 2, following impressive viewership numbers from its series premiere. According to Paramount, the premiere episode saw 8.4 million multiplatform viewers via broadcast and streaming within the first seven days of its release.
Ratings for the first three episodes of the series showed a 39% improvement on Monday at 10 p.m. compared to the same timeslot in fall 2025.
Behind the scenes, though, CIA has had a rocky production. FBI: Most Wanted showrunner David Hudgins was initially in charge of the series, but Warren Leight later replaced him. That wasn't the end of the turnover, though, as he eventually departed, along with executive producer Eriq La Salle. Mike Weiss, who was the showrunner on the original FBI series, was hired as the CIA showrunner.
All of this turmoil, plus Michael Michele's departure from the cast, caused production delays, and CBS decided to give CIA a mid-season 2026 premiere after previously announcing it would debut in fall 2025.
CIA stars Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss as CIA Agent Colin Glass and FBI Agent Bill Goodman, respectively, who are tasked with working together on a secretive joint CIA/FBI task force. The two agents couldn't be more different, with the latter a rule-follower and the former more mischievous in nature.
While on the job together, Glass and Goodman stay in the shadows as they solve domestic and international crimes away from the eyes of the public.
Before CIA, Ellis was best known for his role as Lucifer Morningstar on the Fox/Netflix drama Lucifer, while Gehlfuss has starred in The Newsroom, Shameless, and Chicago Med (another Dick Wolf-created series).
Their CIA co-stars include Necar Zadegan and Natalee Linez. Zadegan, who plays Nikki Reynard, will guest star in the March 30 episode of FBI season 8, in which the Deputy Chief of Station is called in to help following a double homicide. The episode will mark Maggie Bell's return to the team after suffering a major loss.
Wolf created the hugely popular Law & Order and One Chicago franchises on NBC, and then went on to create the FBI crime procedural franchise for CBS. The first FBI series debuted in 2018 with star Missy Peregrym and is currently airing its eighth season.
Two years later, the first spinoff, FBI: Most Wanted, launched and aired for six seasons. FBI: International followed in its footsteps and aired for four seasons.
CIA, which currently has a 63% critic score and 51% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, marks the third FBI spinoff, with Wolf, Weiss, Ken Girotti, Paul Cabbad, Nicole Perlman, David Chasteen, Anastasia Puglisi, and Peter Jankowski serving as executive producers.
CIA airs Mondays at 10 p.m. EDT on CBS.
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