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.
Two Dick Wolf Series Are Crossing Over Next Month With CIA & FBI Characters Together In First Images
The feds have come together in the Dick Wolf universe.
Wolf's newest series, which hasn't even finished its first season, is about to have a major crime-fighting episode filled with past relationships and new conflicts.
Wolf's shows FBI and CIA are coming together for a crossover episode in April. Showrunner Mike Weiss told TVInsider that the goal is to expand on the "FBI New York Universe." The crossover will come during an episode of CIA.
Alana De La Garza and Missy Peregrym, who play Isobel Castille and Special Agent Maggie Bell, respectively, will enter the world of the CIA to work alongside Case Officer Colin Glass and Special Agent Bill Goodman, played by Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss. This is the first season of CIA — the first episode aired February 23, 2026.
The episode will be titled "Elimination Game." In the show, Colin and Bill manage security for an international soccer game, but a bomb threat leads them to disconcerting news. Two of the soccer players are being hunted. The CIA duo looks to the FBI's Isobel and Maggie for assistance.
Weiss confirmed that Bill already had a relationship with the two FBI agents since he had worked for the FBI for several years. "These were his colleagues for years," he said.
Special Agent Bell, who is dealing with the death of her sister on her show, will not be working through her grief during the crossover episode. Peregrym reasoned that, "When you have to go to work, you don’t have the room to carry that sorrow in the same way." The actress said the crossover is focused on the CIA characters.
Since Maggie already has a relationship with Bill, the episode will show her getting to know Bill's new partner, Colin. Peregrym added:
Bill's on our side. He’s FBI. We understand the rules, we get it. I can see what’s happening with Colin.
Colin seems to be a little "off the rails," according to the actress, but she's hopeful the two characters will find a way to work together. Viewers will see Maggie supporting Bill during the episode. Gehlfuss, meanwhile, is new to the CIA, but he's been a long-standing member of the Dick Wolf universe. He previously played Doctor Will Halstead in Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and Chicago P.D.
Unfortunately, Halstead left the One Chicago franchise after season eight of Chicago Med. His new role as Special Agent Goodman seems to solidify that he will never return. It was also confirmed by the actor that he's done wearing scrubs.
The crossover episode will air on April 13, 2026, and new episodes of CIA air Mondays at 10 p.m. EST on CBS.
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