CBS has explained why it pulled the plug on four procedurals despite their substantial fanbases.
In recent weeks, the network has cancelled FBI spin-offsMost Wanted and International, SWAT and, days before its final episode aired, The Equalizer.
The cancellation of The Equalizer, produced by and starring Queen Latifah, was a particular shock considering the show was believed to be one of the network’s most-watched dramas.
CBS’s announcement meant that the season five finale, which aired last weekend, served as an inadvertent end to the series. Both FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International will draw to a close on 20 May.
President of CBS Entertainment Amy Reisenbach said it had been a difficult decision to end the shows, but attributed the move to several factors, including money.
“It’s not easy to end shows and we had a lot of options this year,” Reisenbach told publications, including Deadline.
“The schedule is really full and so we always have to look at all of our shows, look at the aggregate information, the creative of where they are in their life cycle, what the finances look like, what the ratings are, and then we make those tough decisions.”
Viewers pointed out that the choice to axe FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International likely had something to do with the forthcoming spin-off FBI: CIA.
The main FBI show is currently on its seventh season, and will remain on air until at least its ninth season in 2027. It started in 2018.
Reisenbach hyped up the new spin-off FBI: CIA,, stating: “We love working with Dick Wolf and we’re so excited to bring CIA onto the schedule.
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“We have to be fiscally responsible and ultimately, those deals and the shows just weren’t penciling out for us from an economic perspective. But we want to be in the business with Dick. We’re excited to launch a new two-hour block next season.”
FBI: CIA is set to air during the 2025-2026 broadcast season, and will star Lucifer’s Tom Ellis.
Reisenbach also confirmed that it would never resurrect SWAT, which starred Shemar Moore and focused on the Los Angeles Police Department. The show was previously cancelled in 2023 and 2024, but received surprise renewals.
Its luck, however, has now run out – but fortunately, the announcement was made when the series had a few episodes left to shoot, so will receive series finales as opposed to ending on a cliffhanger, which was a fate suffered by the cancelled NCIS: Hawaii in May 2024.
