A brand new season of the FBI spin-off series starring Tom Ellis will begin airing on CBS on Monday, October 5th.
CBS revealed its fall schedule on July 27th, including the premiere dates for all of its shows. The series FBI: International will air alongside its original show, FBI, which is starting its ninth season. This season, both shows are moving to earlier times – FBI at 8 p.m. Eastern Time and FBI: International at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
CIA Had a Rough Start
The new drama CIA debuted in February after facing several hurdles and delays. Originally developed with a team including Dick Wolf, David Hudgins, Nicole Perlman, David Chasteen, and Warren Leight, the show experienced a behind-the-scenes shakeup when Warren Leight took over as showrunner from David Hudgins. Because of this change in leadership, CBS decided to postpone the premiere from the fall season to midseason, allowing time for adjustments.
Just as the show started filming, Mike Weiss became the head of FBI. Eriq La Salle initially joined as an executive producer but left early in the production process. His ER colleague, Michael Michele, who was intended to be a leading actress, also departed around the same time.
The show had a delayed premiere and initially struggled to gain popularity. However, CBS quickly decided to cancel it in March, only a few weeks after the first episode aired.
CIA’s FBI Connection
The new series CIA follows a rebellious CIA officer, Ellis, who partners with a strict FBI agent, Nick Gehlfuss, in a special task force dedicated to preventing terrorist attacks within the United States. Natalee Linez and Necar Zadegan are also featured in the show.
This show is the fourth installment in the FBI universe. Joining the original FBI series and its spin-offs – FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International – it expands a popular franchise that already includes six seasons of FBI and four seasons of FBI: Most Wanted.
As a big fan of both shows, I noticed a fun crossover in the first season of FBI. We got to see some familiar faces from FBI pop up! Jeremy Sisto was back as Jubal Valentine, and it was great to see Missy Peregrym as Maggie Bell again, alongside Alana de La Garza as Isobel Castille. Plus, James Chen made an appearance as Ian Lim – I always enjoy seeing his character on screen!
I’ve been following the interconnected universe of these crime dramas, and it’s exciting to see characters from FBI popping up on CIA. With a second season of CIA confirmed, I’m anticipating even more of these team-ups. While crossovers weren’t constant between FBI, Most Wanted, and International, they always felt like a big deal when they happened – a real event for fans.
The second season of the show CIA begins airing on CBS on Monday, October 5th at 9 PM Eastern Time. You can currently watch the first season on Paramount+.
2026-07-28 00:39