Looks Like CBS Just Cancelled Two More of Your Favorite Shows
By Movieguide® Contributor
Police procedurals appear to be on the outs at CBS as after ending BLUE BLOODS last year, the network has now announced it is dropping FBI: INTERNATIONAL and FBI: MOST WANTED.
Many fans were worried these cuts were coming after both shows were absent from a renewal list the network released in February. The cancellation of the shows, however, was only officially confirmed this week. Nonetheless, many are shocked that these shows are coming to an end as CBS’s Tuesday night, FBI Night has been extremely popular for years with all three shows releasing new episodes one after another for three hours. Last year, flagship show FBI averaged 9.1 million viewers per episode, while FBI: INTERNATIONAL and FBI: MOST WANTED both averaged around 7 million viewers per episode.
“The All-FBI Tuesday is a powerful force to be reckoned with on our primetime schedule,” CBS Entertainment President, Amy Reisenbach, said last April when the lines up was renewed. “Dick Wolf and the talent in front of and behind the camera in all three series continue to deliver top-notch storytelling, riveting action and intrigue that has captivated a dedicated fanbase steadily across multiple seasons. We are excited to see what next season holds for all these heroic characters.”
Despite the cancellation of these two shows, the FBI franchise will continue to find significant representation at CBS through FBI and a new show still in the works, FBI: CIA which will highlight the two agencies working together to solve high-profile cases.
READ MORE: FBI FRANCHISE ANNOUNCES NEW SPIN-OFF
It remains to be seen why CBS has cut so many police procedurals in recent years that have been performing well. The network cited the cancellation of BLUE BLOODS to rising costs, however, it was only willing to renew the show for a final, shortened, season after all the actors took a major pay cut, while still deciding not to run any seasons beyond that. Meanwhile, while these FBI shows are popular, they are unlikely to have already reached a cost that is unsustainable for the network.
Nevertheless, CBS’s parent company Paramount has been struggling for years and is likely continuing to search for ways to boost profitability as it waits for its merger with SkyDance to go through. Furthermore, linear TV continues to be a sinking ship, and Paramount may be looking to direct more assets to its streaming service, Paramount+ rather than continuing to pump money into a dying medium.
Movieguide® previously reported:
For the past couple of years, linear TV has been hanging on by a thread, but in 2025, that thread will be cut, and cable will begin its total free fall.
Related: FBI Franchise Announces New Spin-Off
While 2025 may seem the same as 2024, a slight change in the entertainment landscape proves that is not the case. In 2025, for the first time, every top 50 TV broadcast will be available in some form to stream. Last year, 14 of the top 50 broadcasts were exclusive to TV — many of them being NFL games or award shows like the Oscars.
As live sports and shows like the Oscars become multiview programs, TV will no longer hold any significant program that isn’t available anywhere else. 2025 may still see some holdouts in the cable business as it is still the most convenient package for live sports, but soon this will no longer be the case.
The streamers offering live sports are starting to consolidate. Prime Video, for example, will continue to offer its THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL games while adding on NBA regular season and postseason games this year. Meanwhile, Disney’s upcoming sports streaming bundle, Flagship, which will likely include ESPN content, may create access to live sports in an offering that is impossible to beat.
Even the news is starting to make the inevitable shift towards streaming as major news sources realize they cannot carry cable on their own. Furthermore, most major news sources are owned by a company with a major streaming service, easing their transition away from cable.
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