CBS isn’t holding back when a show is performing well. CIA has joined the ranks of the shows landing a renewal. Yes, after just four episodes, CIA Season 2 has been confirmed.
It’s excellent news for fans of the FBI franchise and just of this series alone. However, this news comes with disappointment for fans of the last CBS scripted drama left on the bubble, and things continue to not look good.
CIA Season 2 Probably Isn’t That Surprising
While the series did get off to a rocky start, it wasn’t too surprising that the renewal came through. According to TVLine, the series premiere pulled in 8.4 million viewers across multiple platforms within the first seven days. The time period itself has also increased from last season.
CIA is pulling in 39% more people than NCIS: Origins pulled in, which held the timeslot during the 2024–2025 TV season. It is worth noting that this time last year, NCIS: Origins was partway through its first season after going up against Monday Night Football in the fall. CIA didn’t have that battle.
There’s also the fact that there were a lot of questions about CIA. The series was originally set to have a backdoor pilot during FBI Season 7, but that was eventually decided against due to casting. Then it was supposed to premiere in fall 2026, but production issues and showrunner changes led to more issues behind the scenes. Fortunately, this one was worth the wait!
Watson Is the Last CBS Scripted Drama on the Bubble
Now for the bad news. With CIA‘s renewal, it means that there is just one scripted drama left on the bubble. Watson was left out in the cold when the bulk of CBS shows were renewed at the beginning of the year. CIA and Marshals had been left off the list as they hadn’t premiered at the time, and CBS needed to see how they would perform.
Now, both of those freshman shows have landed second seasons. It means that Watson is more and more likely going to be canceled.
Watson continues to sit toward the bottom of the list of live viewership data. According to TV Series Finale, it is just ahead of NCIS: Sydney in the demo. While Sydney has been renewed, there is a deal with Paramount+ Australia, which is likely helping to keep it on the air. The move to Sunday nights has arguably helped a little in the viewership, but it’s probably too little too late at this point in time.
