Fire Country has quickly become a vital property for CBS. The firefighting drama was a smash hit out the gate, and has since gone on to secure three seasons and a renewal, which is not easy to come by on the CBS network these days.
More notable, however, is the fact that Fire Country has been approved for multiple spinoff shows in the wake of its massive success. The series has already set up Sheriff Country, which will premiere in the 2025-26 season, but there is also plans for a second spinoff starring Jared Padalecki.
Jared Padalecki debuted as Camden on Fire Country
Franchise star and co-creator, Max Thieriot, spoke on the latter during a recent TV Line interview, and he provided fans with an update. One that, unfortunately, suggests that we may be waiting to see the highly anticipated spinoff for a while. Theirot noted that Padalecki's schedule is going to be busy in the immediate future, given that he was recently green lit to star in a CBS medical drama.
"Jared has a medical drama in development," Thieriot noted. "I don't know what the status of that is. [But] there's no real update at this time." The actor/co-creator did make it clear he enjoys Padalecki's presence within the Fire Country franchise, and is still eager to incorporate him down the line. "We're certainly excited about exploring and expanding the universe," he noted.
Padalecki's medical drama was announced in January. The title has yet to be announced, but the show will be set in Texas, and will reteam the actor with the showrunner of his previous title, Anna Fricke. Padalecki will play a doctor in a rural part of his home state who "practices a unique style of improvisational medicine alongside his new protégé."
Fire Country: Surfside may be delayed
Padalecki and Fricke have a first look deal and overall deal with CBS, so it makes sense the duo would proceed with a new series given that their previous collaboration, Walker, ran for four seasons on the network. This does, however, mean that the character Padalecki played on Fire Country may not be taking center stage as quickly as was originally planned.
The spinoff, tentatively titled Fire Country: Surfside, was unveiled by Deadline in November, and is believed to focus on Padalecki's character Camden. The Southern California firefighter is a massive contrast from Thieriot's protagonist, Bode, in that he's been described as a "maverick with a surfer swagger." We can only hope, like Thieriot, that we get to see more of the character moving forward.