The last few years have been important for CBS for numerous reasons, but one recent decision has everyone’s attention. The network has now canceled two of its high-profile crime dramas, FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International. The news is shocking, considering that both shows had steady viewership and were part of the successful FBI franchise from Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television.
Dylan McDermott and Jesse Lee Soffer, recognizable faces from other Dick Wolf series, were handed lead roles in the spinoffs, so the cancellations were even more surprising. CBS has been making moves on its lineup, but no one expected the network to axe these two series simultaneously.
Why did CBS cancel ‘FBI: Most Wanted’ and ‘FBI: International’?
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Scheduling and financial factors played a key role in CBS’s decision. The network has long invested its Tuesday primetime hours in the FBI franchise, but with the upcoming debut of a new spinoff, FBI: CIA, canceling was inevitable. There are just three hours on Tuesday nights, and keeping all four shows wasn’t an option.
Financials were another critical consideration. Unlike some of CBS’s other long-running franchises, the FBI shows are produced by an outside studio, Universal Television. CBS has had contentious renewal negotiations with the studio in recent years, and money problems have been reported to have been a factor in the cancellations.
What is next for the two canceled shows?
It is not known whether FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International will find new homes on other platforms. The two dramas have continued to rate well, on par with or even surpassing some of CBS’s renewed dramas. Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment have already moved Law & Order: Organized Crime from NBC to Peacock, so the same might be done for the canceled FBI spinoffs.
In the meantime, both shows are still in production, with several episodes left to be shot before their final seasons wrap. If no new platform saves them, the production teams could rewrite the final episodes to serve as series finales.