FBI: Internationalco-creator Derek Haas has stated his confidence that the show was not canceled due to quality issues. The second spinoff from theFBIfranchise debuted in 2021, and ran four seasons and 78 episodes before its cancellation earlier this year.FBI international’s original castfeatured Luke Kleintank, Heida Reed, Christiane Paul, Eva-Jane Wolfe. Eventually,One Chicagoalum Jesse Lee Sofer took over Kleintank’s leading role. The show followed the FBI’s international team, headquartered in Budapest, who protect threats to America coming from Europe. Despite decent ratings,FBI: Internationalwas unexpectedly canceled after four seasons.
PerTVLine, Haas has statedhis belief that quality was not behind the show’s unexpected cancelation.Internationalwas axed back in March, alongside fellow sister spinoffFBI: Most Wanted, and Haas revealed his disappointment at the cancelation. However, he also stated that, although he’s unclear about the reasons for the show being canceled, he is confident it had nothing to do with quality. Check out Haas' comments below:
“I have no insight into why it was canceled. I love Amy [Reisenbach] and [EVP of current programming] Eric [Kim] over at CBS plus all my good friends at Wolf [Entertainment], and trust their instincts. So they must’ve had reasons that had nothing to do with the quality of the show.”
What This Means For FBI: International’s Cancelation
The Real Reasons May Never Be Known, But CBS Suggested Finances
Haas' comments reveal that he’s unclear about why the show was canceled, but he seems to be confident that it isn’t because of any creative issues. Of course, there’s no way of knowing if this is the case, though it is unlikelyFBI: Internationalwould have run four seasons if quality were a problem. However, CBS’s Amy Reisenbach has previously stated that the show was axed for fiscal reasons, “…ultimately those deals … just weren’t penciling out for us from an economic perspective. We always have to look at all of our shows… what the finances look like, what the ratings are.”
These comments suggest that the show was axed because of the cost involved in making it versus what CBS was getting back in terms of ratings. However, the fact thatFBI: Internationalwascheaper to make than US-based shows, and scored higher ratings than shows likeFire CountryandNCIS: Originssuggests this may not be entirely true. Ultimately, while the true reasons may never be known, it is frustrating that the show was not able to wrap up with a proper conclusion, like theFBI: Most Wantedfinalewas able to do.
Our Take On FBI: International’s Cancelation
CBS May Just Have Wanted To Go In A New Direction
The true reasons behindFBI: International’s cancelation may never come to light, but there does seem to be a contradiction on what is being said, versus how the show performed. Ultimately, it might simply be the case that CBS wanted to go in a new direction, and make the decision to focus on other franchises. The fact thatFBI: Most Wanted’s cancelationcoincided withFBI: International' would support this idea, but there is the hope that the original show will be able to continue, as well as featuring characters from the now-canceled spinoffs.
FBI: International
Cast
FBI: International follows the elite agents of the FBI’s International Fly Team as they travel globally to protect Americans. The series focuses on their complex missions, navigating international law, and challenges posed by various jurisdictions, demonstrating the high-stakes nature of their work.
