The Equalizer as well as FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International may have been yanked from the CBS schedule, but execs on Wednesday were still touting the strength of the three dramas.
When boasting about its top performers from the 2024-25 season, all three shows were given shout-outs by CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach. But the net still opted not to renew The Equalizer for a sixth season, Most Wanted for a seventh season, and International for a fifth as part of its pickups for 2025-26 that included eight new shows and 18 returning ones.
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“It’s not easy to end shows and we had a lot of options this year,” Reisenbach told reporters Wednesday. “The schedule is really full and so we always have to look at all of our shows, look at the aggregate information, the creative of where they are in their life cycle, what the finances look like, what the ratings are, and then we make those tough decisions.”
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Sunday’s episode of The Equalizer served as a series finale. There is no plan by Universal Television to shop the show. The series finale of FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International airs on May 20.
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“We love working with Dick Wolf and we’re so excited to bring CIA onto the schedule,” Reisenbach continued of their new drama starring Tom Ellis. “We have to be fiscally responsible and ultimately, those deals and the shows just weren’t penciling out for us from an economic perspective. But we want to be in the business with Dick. We’re excited to launch a new two-hour block next season.”
When asked if there was even the smallest chance that they would reconsider the cancellation of S.W.A.T., Reisenberg said no.
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I sure wish you hadn’t pulled the FBIs…i really looked forward to Tuesday night!!! Just to put a new questionable show in their place… they had a following… why couldn’t you put them on Paramount+? I really hope you dont turn into reality TV only… might have to cancel Paramount+… I’m sure there are others that are more articulate than I am that feel the same way…
Put the equalizer back on !!!!!
It’s very sad CBS is canceling these shows, I watch them all and look forward to them each week during the season. I am very disappointed with the morning extended CBS show, it’s way to long and repetitive. Cancel that to save money and viewers.
CBS really sucks canceling all the FBI shows except for one, and The equalizer is the worst move they could have ever done because now all they’re going to have is a bunch of variety game shows which who cares and cooking shows come on give me a break the FBI series is so good it’s got everything and the actors were so good! I wish some other network would pick that up all of them and also NBC canceled found which is stupid! it’s a great show. These networks have no idea what people are watching they go by some obsolete ratings that doesn’t even come close to the public that’s watching these shows! It’s a very small majority that they’re taking I’ve never been asked! They’ve decided that we don’t need to think when we’re watching a program that we just need to be told on these game shows or whatever you want to call them! I hope some other network or some streaming service picks these up because they’re too good not to be picked up.
“We have to be fiscally responsible”. How about starting with the outrageous salaries for all executives and C-level -CEO especially. Cancelling top watched shows like FBI international, FBI most wanted, Blue Bloods,S.W.A.T, etc. that viewers enjoy watching while having exorbitant salaries is NOT “being fiscally responsible.”
So absolutely agree!