This month has seemingly brought nothing but dire updates on CIA until this point. Less than two weeks ago, the series lost its showrunner, Warren Leight, known for his time aboard Law & Order: SVU, along with executive producer Eriq La Salle. Leight himself was originally brought on as a replacement for FBI: Most Wanted‘s David Hudgins, who was slated to take the reins from the beginning. The cast also suffered a blow earlier in November when one of the main stars, Michael Michele, similarly left the production with no explanation. All the departures have forced recastings and significant delays in production that, despite the odds, haven’t thrown it off course for the midseason premiere.
CIA will revolve around a crime-solving odd couple, including a dual-citizen loose cannon CIA case officer with a nebulous relationship to the rules, played by Ellis, and a by-the-books veteran FBI agent, played by Nick Gehlfuss. Despite their differences in approach, the pair is assigned to work together out of the CIA’s New York Station and investigate threats to U.S. soil. They soon learn, however, that the things that make them so dissimilar may actually be their greatest strength by picking each other up in areas where the other falters. Natalee Linez is also set to star, though casting is still underway to see who will take the chair of the station’s chief after Michele’s exit.
Who Is at the Helm of ‘CIA’ Now?
After Leight left the series, FBI showrunner Mike Weiss was reported to be in talks to handle the series himself. With him now spearheading the series on Monday night, Watson, which premiered its second season in that slot this fall, will move back to its Sunday nights at 10 p.m., following Tracker in its new 9 p.m. position. Despite the shared leadership and CIA now being the lone FBI spin-off on television following the end of both FBI: Most Wanted and International, the plan seems to be for the two series to remain mostly separate and tell their own stories.
CIA premieres on February 23 at 10 p.m. Stay tuned here at Collider for more as the show draws near.
