By Gavin Boyle
CBS revealed the release date for its new FBI spin-off show which focuses on another American intelligence agency: the CIA.
“CIA is a one hour crime drama centered on two unlikely partners – a fast-talking, rule-breaking loose cannon CIA case officer, and a by-the-book, seasoned and smart FBI agent who believes in the rule of law. When this odd couple are assigned to work out of CIA’s New York Station, they must learn to work together to investigate cases and criminals posing threats on U.S. soil, finding that their differences may actually be their strength,” a synopsis of the show reads.
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Showrunner David Hudgins explained that his inspiration for the show was to show how these two very different organizations benefit greatly from pooling resources and working together. This dynamic is reflected across the show from the seemingly unsuitable partners to the portrayals of the organizations themselves.
“Part of the inspiration for this show from David Hudgins, who’s writing it, was that after 9/11, it became very apparent that these two, the FBI and the CIA, these two massive agencies, didn’t cooperate with each other and they didn’t share a lot of information. And as a result, there were huge issues with intelligence failures,” actor Tom Ellis told Parade.
“There was talk that if they maybe had shared their information with each other, 9/11 might not have happened, so the notion that the CIA can’t work on home soil became very different,” he continued. “I think they’ve got very different philosophies about how they go about things, and I think from an entertainment point of view, that’s where our show’s going to sing. So, it’s not just about the cases that we’re doing, but it’s about the two people tackling the cases and how they are with each other.”
CIA will be the only FBI show to air next season other than the flagship series. The show is set to star Ellis along with Natalee Linez, Nick Gehlfuss, Pej Vahdat, Shiva Negar and Nancy De Mayo. CIA will release on Feb. 23, 2026, at 10 p.m. E.T. and new episodes will drop every Monday afterward.
The show adds to a growing list of spinoffs on CBS as the network looks to capitalize on its popular IP and continue to draw a major audience without having to introduce viewers to new worlds. CIA, meanwhile, joins a series that has had multiple successful spinoffs in the past. It will be interesting to see how this new show differentiates itself as it dives into the world of a new intelligence agency.
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