Tom Ellis’ FBI Spinoff Title Lies About Its True Story

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The title of Tom Ellis’s new FBI spinoff is a bit confusing after the first trailer for the show – actually focused on the CIA – was released. This announcement came shortly before the surprise cancellations of FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International. The series marks Ellis’s return to leading roles on network television, following his popular role in Fox’s Lucifer, and appears to be a more realistic and down-to-earth project for the actor.

As a TV critic, I’ve been watching the FBI franchise closely, and things looked a little different heading into the 2025-2026 season. After a couple of planned spinoffs fell through, CBS was left with just the original FBI show to start things off. They had hoped to launch a new CIA series alongside it, but faced a series of delays. Thankfully, it’s now scheduled to premiere in February, and the first trailer has given us a look at Ellis’ Hart Hoxton and Nick Gehlfuss, who plays FBI Special Agent Bill Goodman. It seems CBS is still committed to expanding the universe, just on a slightly different timeline.

CIA Is Not Just About Tom Ellis’ Agent

Ellis has always been the central figure in CIA, which makes sense given the show’s name. He’s the face of the organization, much like Olivia Benson is to Law & Order: SVU. But the new trailer shows Gelfhuss isn’t just a supporting character—he’s a true partner to Ellis. This suggests that while Ellis is technically the main character of CIA, the show is actually about the relationship between Ellis and Goodman.

A better title for the show is actually FBI: CIA – it was even considered early in the development process. While the show has evolved, this original title would have perfectly captured its core premise. It also clearly shows that the new CBS series is connected to the existing FBI franchise, which could generate more excitement.

CIA Is The First Show In The Franchise To Be An FBI Partnership Instead Of An Expansion

When the new CIA show was announced, many wondered how it would connect to the FBI series, given that it’s part of the same television universe. It was easy to understand how FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International fit in – they simply followed different teams within the FBI’s New York office. But because the CIA is a separate agency, the connection to the FBI wasn’t immediately clear.

The problem is fixed by clarifying that Hoxton and Goodman are different people. This also allows the FBI to play a larger part in the story, as they’re the agency with authority over the CIA. However, the title still incorrectly suggests the story focuses on the CIA, which is misleading.

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2025-12-16 21:28