The new CBS series CIA faced a rocky road to its February 23rd debut. Before it even aired, the show went through several changes, including losing its original pilot director and a lead actor. Shortly after, the showrunner Warren Leight departed, adding to the behind-the-scenes turmoil. In fact, Leight was already the second showrunner to work on the series, highlighting the instability during its production.
The drama series found its footing after a slow start. Necar Zadegan joined the cast as station chief Nikki Reynard, and Mike Weiss, who previously led the popular show FBI, took over as a producer. The show launched mid-season and quickly attracted a large audience. The first episode of CIA reached 8.4 million viewers when including streaming and delayed viewing, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The second episode maintained a strong viewership of 7.6 million, with both episodes drawing more than double the audience who watched live on television.
That clarifies why CBS is heavily investing in the FBI spin-off. The show has been renewed for a second season, bringing back Tom Ellis (known from Lucifer) and Nick Gehlfuss (Chicago Med) as partners working to protect the country from internal threats. Their contrasting styles – Ellis as the unconventional CIA officer Colin Glass who often acts independently, and Gehlfuss as the by-the-book FBI agent Bill Goodman – will continue to be a central dynamic as they navigate their roles on a combined CIA/FBI task force.
CBS
Viewers who enjoy shows like Law & Order and Chicago will likely find this new series appealing. Created by 79-year-old New York native Dick Wolf, the show follows a similar format to his successful franchises, which have earned him multiple Emmy Awards and a place in the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
The new show CIA currently has a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but many reviews indicate it’s only just barely entertaining. The Los Angeles Times described it as predictable “conservative entertainment” relying on the familiar trope of clashing personalities working together. Variety called it simply “average,” and The Wrap criticized the writing as being formulaic, making the plot easily predictable.
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Despite its flaws, the show isn’t turning viewers away – people are still watching! Its ratings are now comparable to those of its original series, FBI, which is currently in its eighth season on CBS. If CIA maintains this popularity, it has the potential for a long and successful run as a buddy cop drama.
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2026-03-25 03:32