Tom Ellis’ CIA Broke Into the Top 10 After Underwhelming Reviews

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Tom Ellis, known for his role in the popular fantasy series Lucifer, is now starring in a new show. This series, connected to the FBI universe, first aired on February 23rd.

The new series CIA is gaining popularity despite a slow start. After premiering on Paramount+ two days ago, it’s quickly climbing the charts and is now ranked at No. 3, according to FlixPatrol.

The new series launched at number nine on Paramount+ in the U.S., but quickly rose to third place the next day. It landed just behind the popular shows South Park and NCIS. It also started at number six on Amazon’s digital charts.

What Is CIA About?

Dick Wolf, a long-time television producer, launched the FBI series in 2018. It quickly grew to include the spinoffs FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International. Though the original FBI is still popular, both spinoffs have concluded their runs. Recently, in 2025, CBS announced a new series in the same universe, titled CIA.

The show was initially intended to launch as part of an existing FBI episode, testing the waters with audiences. But because of issues with casting, those plans were scrapped, and CBS decided to order the series directly, skipping the initial test episode.

CIA centers around Colin Glass, a CIA case officer who must team up with FBI agent Bill Goodman when the country’s safety is threatened. Each episode combines standalone investigations with the high-stakes world of international espionage.

Colin and Goodman are complete opposites. Colin, played by Ellis, is unpredictable, while Goodman, played by Nick Gehlfuss, always follows the rules. Colin is a CIA officer and Goodman is an agent who sticks to procedure.

Joining the cast are Natalee Linez as Gina Gosian, a CIA analyst, and Necar Zadegan as Nikki Reynard, who leads the CIA’s New York office. Several familiar faces from the show FBI will also appear, including Jeremy Sisto as Jubal Valentine, Missy Peregrym as Maggie Bell, and Alana de la Garza as Isobel Castille.

CIA Had a Rocky Start

Problems with casting weren’t the only things holding up the show’s initial attempt. David Hudgins, one of the show’s creators, was originally going to be in charge, but he left in July. This caused further delays because Warren Leight had to step in as showrunner.

Eriq La Salle also became a director on the series that month, but he left during production, along with others, stepping down from their executive producer roles. Mike Weiss, the showrunner for FBI, then took charge. Shortly after filming began, one of the actors left, and Necar Zadegan was brought in to take over the role.

Due to delays, the show launched mid-season instead of in the fall. It received a lukewarm reception, earning a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on eight reviews. While this kept it classified as “positive,” critics generally found it unremarkable and didn’t consider it groundbreaking.

An audience score isn’t available yet, and initial reviews are varied. Some viewers found the start promising, while others criticized the acting and storyline as predictable and poorly done. These first reactions are based only on the pilot episode, so opinions could shift as more reviews are published.

CIA airs new episodes every Monday on CBS, and the next day on Paramount+.

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2026-02-27 02:06