CBS has made some surprising and confusing cancelation decisions in the 2024–2025 TV season. While there was speculation that at least one of theFBIshows would go due to the talk of a new spin-off series in the franchise, very few believed that both would be canceled. Yet, CBS opted to cancel bothFBI: InternationalandFBI: Most Wantedat the same time. While this decision hurts, it isn’t as bad as a decision made in 2024, when CBS canceled a three-season series that is still talked about across social media.
Back in April 2024,CBS decided to cancelNCIS: Hawai’i, leading to backlash from viewers. As much as I would loveFBI: Most Wantedseason 7andFBI:Internationalseason 5, it still hurts that Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) and her team are no longer on TV screens week after week.
Why CBS' Cancelation Of FBI: Most Wanted & FBI: International Is So Controversial
The FBI Franchise Is Still Strong In Linear Ratings
There is no doubt that the cancelation of both the FBI spin-offs was a shock to most. The two shows continue to perform well in the linear ratings, and while they are not as strong as they once were, they perform better than some of the series that were renewed just weeks earlier.TV Series Finaleshows a ranking of the same day linear ratings,putting both theFBIspinoffs ahead of the renewedNCIS: Origins, NCIS: Sydney, andElsbeth. Canceling shows that are still performing well leads to questions about what CBS wants, and it puts many other shows in jeopardy.
The two shows continue to perform well in the linear ratings, and while they are not as strong as they once were, they perform better than some of the series that were renewed just weeks earlier.
One of the downsides of the FBI series is that they are expensive to film. They are licensed via an outside network, Universal TV Studios, and that creates cost implications and negotiating difficulties.FBI: Most Wanted’s cast negotiated new terms that involved not all cast members being in every episodeas a way to help keep some of the costs down to make the series financially viable for CBS. The flagship series did the same, landing a three-season renewal in 2024, so there are many questions about why this couldn’t happen again forMost Wanted.
How CBS Canceling NCIS: Hawai’i Is Worse Than Ending FBI: Most Wanted & FBI: International
NCIS: Hawai’i Still Has A Cliffhanger Unresolved
Despite the hurt, there is still one CBS cancelation that hurts even more. When CBS canceledNCIS: Hawai’iin April 2024, many were shocked, including the cast members.CBS and the series had been negotiating a fourth and final season orderat the time when the news broke, and the decision to outright cancel the series didn’t make any sense. While the linear ratings forHawai’iweren’t the strongest, likeMost WantedandInternationalright now, they were still stronger than some of the renewed shows of that year, withNCIS: Hawai’iranking 16th as the most-watched seriesacross all networks throughout the season.
On top of that,theNCISuniverseis a CBS-owned brand. TheFBIfranchise is a rental from Dick Wolf, which comes with an added cost and a more difficult negotiation process. Themoney gained from theNCISshows goes back into CBS’ pockets in full, so it makes more sense tofor CBS to keepNCIS: Hawai’irather than relying on negotiations with other studios.
7 NCIS: Hawai’i Stories That Can Never Be Finished After Its Controversial Cancelation
Key NCIS: Hawai’i narratives will never get a proper conclusion after CBS abruptly canceled Vanessa Lachey’s NCIS spinoff after just three seasons.
Most importantly, the twoFBIshows are still filming their final set of episodes, which means the writers have time to tweak the season finales. They can remove any potential cliffhanger storylines, closing out the two shows in a way that makes the most sense to fans.NCIS: Hawai’ididn’t get that chance, ending with a major cliffhanger that could have been wrapped up with one final season.
Why FBI: Most Wanted & FBI: International Can Still Be Saved By A Different Platform, But Not NCIS: Hawai’i
NBC Could Save The FBI Franchise
CBS and its owners, Paramount Global,havecontinued to ignore the calls to saveNCIS: Hawai’i. There is currently a takeover in progress with Skydance working on acquiring Paramount Global, but even that company has ignored the calls rather than even mentioning a hope of reversing the decision. We continued to be left with the unresolved cliffhanger for a series that was diverse, inclusive, and well-written, making the cancelation continue to grate on audiences.
Why NBC Will Unlikely Save FBI: Most Wanted & FBI: International From Cancelation (Despite Dick Wolf’s Connections)
CBS canceled FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International ahead of their 2025 finales, but fans shouldn’t get their hopes up that NBC will save them.
While there is still a fight to saveNCIS: Hawai’i, it is much easier forFBI: Most WantedorInternationalto be saved at this point. The two shows are still filming, and the cast options are still intact. It would make it easier for another network to make a deal with Universal TV Studios to take on the series, and there are homes that make sense considering it is a Dick Wolf show. NBC or Peacock would make a lot of sense consideringthey are NBCUniversal-owned networks and already have theLaw & OrderandOne Chicagofranchises.
FBI: Most Wanted
Cast
FBI: Most Wanted follows a specialized team tasked with apprehending high-profile criminals on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. Led by experienced agents, this mobile undercover unit operates tirelessly in the field, pursuing individuals who are determined to evade justice and ensuring public safety.
