CBS might have been the first network to hand out a wave of mass renewals for the 2025-2026 television season, but the network has also now become the first to hand out the most shocking cancellations of the year so far.
In an unexpected turn of events, CBS has announced the cancellation of nearly its entire FBI franchise revealing FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted will both be ending with their current seasons and will not return with new seasons as part of CBS’s 2025-2026 lineup. The only show in the franchise not impacted by the cancellations is FBI, the flagship series, which was previously renewed for three seasons back in 2024.
The futures of FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted were both thrust into question when the two series failed to secure a renewal in the earlier mass renewals CBS handed out in February. At the time, speculation began to grow over whether one of the two shows could be in danger due to the fact that CBS is developing yet another spinoff, FBI: CIA. The theory among fans was that should FBI: CIA be ordered to series, CBS would likely cancel either FBI: International or FBI: Most Wanted in not wanting to have four shows from the franchise on air.
It now seems that budgeting was the key factor in both shows’ cancellations. FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted hail from Universal Television and Wolf Entertainment, which means they’re a bit more costly for CBS to keep on the air. This has been the downfall of many hit series on the network and it seems we can now add FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted to that growing list.
CBS does maintain that it is invested in the franchise, with FBI: CIA currently casting for its backdoor pilot with actors in negotiation with Deadline hinting that a straight-to-series order is expected for the show. This would mean CBS will have two FBI franchise shows in the mix possibly for the season.
As for the future of FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted, it is not yet know whether these shows will be shopped around to other networks though there is a chance they could be shopped with NBC and Peacock looking like a potential early favorite given the Universal Television connection and the network’s long-standing history with Wolf Entertainment.
NBC is already home to two other popular Wolf Entertainment franchises in Law & Order and the One Chicago shows, so it’ll be interesting to see if the network explores saving either series. It was previously established the FBI shows are in the same universe as the One Chicago shows with a rare crossover a few years back between FBI and Chicago PD, so FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted moving to NBC would open the door for future crossovers between the shows.
Regardless of whether the shows are shopped around, there is hope that the series could at least be given some sort of proper ending as FBI: Most Wanted and FBI" International are both still in production on their current seasons.