Created by Law & Order’s Dick Wolf and Craig Turk, FBI and FBI: Most Wanted have been two of CBS’ flagship crime dramas since the former debuted in 2018. With six seasons to its name, FBI shows no signs of slowing down. Its spin-off, the five-season FBI: Most Wanted, has also become incredibly popular. Still, that doesn’t mean that CBS’ FBI franchise is immune to the ups and downs of Hollywood. For example, in the wake of the dual SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes of 2023, most network TV series slashed their episode orders.

Although FBI and FBI: Most Wanted were renewed, the series won’t be quite the same when they return to TV in the future. Instead of cutting cast members entirely, both shows are reducing the episode guarantees of its series regulars. That is, the main players in the two series, be it FBI’s Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym) or FBI: Most Wanted’s Remy Scott (Dylan McDermott), will not appear in every episode of their upcoming outings. For the network, reducing episode guarantees is a way of saving money, but the tactic could have a negative impact on the FBI universe’s characters and quality.

Both FBI & FBI: Most Wanted Need Entire Teams For Each Case

Lessening Episode Guarantees Will Hurt The FBI Franchise’s Characters & Stories

The worrying update about FBI and FBI: Most Wanted’s leads getting reduced roles is not great news for the shows’ quality. Like most procedurals and network dramas, both center on ensembles with large principal casts of characters. Given just how many characters are involved in a single episode of FBI (or FBI: Most Wanted), the reduction of episode guarantees will no doubt have a knock-on effect on the stories that the shows are able to tell in their upcoming seasons. Put simply, having characters randomly missing from certain episodes will have huge negative impacts on the overarching plot(s).

…the network will have to be choosy about the episode each cast member appears in.

It also means multi-episode arcs may be out of the question for many of FBI and FBI: Most Wanted’s main characters. The announcement means that regardless of how much they appear on-screen in any given week, the number of episodic fees a main cast member is entitled to will change. Instead of accounting for a standard 22-episode season, the new contractual agreement ensures that each main cast member will be guaranteed payment for 20 episodes. In order to avoid paying actors more, the network will have to be choosy about the episode each cast member appears in.

Why Reducing FBI & FBI: Most Wanted’s Episodes Isn’t Surprising

Reduced Ratings Mean Big Changes For Broadcast TV

Faced with declining ratings and a much more challenging ad market, it’s no surprise to see these shakeups hitting the broadcast TV industry. Of course, the changes no doubt stem from the dual Hollywood strikes, which reshaped production timelines in massive ways for the 2024 broadcast season. Other tent-pole series, like ABC’s long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, have faced similar hurdles. The landmark 21st season of Grey’s will see its number of cast members cut to allow for a leaner budget. While that isn’t the path FBI and FBI: Most Wanted took, both approaches have pros and cons.

Why FBI: International Is Unaffected By The Franchise Update

FBI: International Has Much Lower Production Price Than FBI & FBI: Most Wanted

The only FBI franchise show to weather the shifting network TV landscape relatively unscathed is FBI: International — at least for now. As its name suggests, the FBI spin-off is set overseas. As a result, FBI: International season 4 will continue the series trend of filming outside the U.S., which means lower overall production costs. Despite the main FBI show being guaranteed a season 7, it’s clear that both FBI and FBI: Most Wanted’s upcoming seasons will have a different feel. While the shows are still going strong, the update is certainly worrying in terms of the franchise’s overall narrative quality.