NEW YORK — Tom Ellis, the star of the upcoming CBS series CIA, has opened up about the show's turbulent path to its premiere, including multiple high-profile exits and a production pause that delayed its debut. In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly ahead of the February 23 premiere, Ellis explained his deliberate choice to avoid watching much of the original FBI series to maintain creative separation between the two shows. "To start with, I certainly wanted to keep it separate because it is a very different agency and they run very differently and they operate very different," Ellis, 47, told the outlet.
The CIA series, part of the expansive Dick Wolf television universe, marks another extension of the FBI franchise that has dominated CBS airwaves since 2018. FBI follows agents in New York City tackling domestic crimes, while its spinoffs like FBI: Most Wanted, which ran from 2020 to 2025, focused on the Fugitive Task Force, and FBI: International, which concluded after four seasons in 2025, explored global operations. CIA, ordered straight to series in April 2025, stars Ellis alongside Nick Gehlfuss as an unlikely duo: a rule-breaking CIA case officer and a by-the-book FBI agent working out of the agency's New York Station to thwart threats on U.S. soil.
Ellis emphasized the thematic distinctions that set CIA apart from its predecessor. "The FBI deals in crimes that have already happened predominantly and the CIA try to stop the crime from happening in the first place," he said. "FBI is a very public present arm of law enforcement. They’re the poster boy of U.S. law enforcement. And the CIA is very much in the shadows — and doesn’t want to be on any poster. It doesn’t want people to see who they are and they operate in a very sort of voyeuristic manner." This shadowy, proactive approach, according to Ellis, allows for fresh storytelling within the shared universe.
Despite the interconnected elements, Ellis was careful not to label CIA as a traditional spinoff. "I wouldn’t say they’re spinoff shows so much as two shows that really complement each other," he explained. He admitted to watching only "a little bit" of FBI before pausing, citing his long awareness of Dick Wolf's production empire but a desire to avoid over-familiarity. "Obviously, I’ve been aware of the shows and of the Dick Wolf TV kingdom for years and years and years. But I didn’t want to know too much about that," Ellis added. "We do cross-pollinate a little bit."
Production on CIA hit several snags shortly after casting was finalized. In a series of departures that raised eyebrows in Hollywood, actress Michael Michele, initially cast as one of the leads, exited the show in November 2025. Just days later, Eriq La Salle, who had been attached since the project's inception and even directed the pilot episode, stepped down as executive producer. These changes, reported by Us Weekly, contributed to behind-the-scenes instability as the series sought to define its tone.
The showrunner carousel added to the delays. Warren Leight, previously of FBI: Most Wanted, replaced David Hudgins as showrunner early on, but Leight himself departed soon after, prompting a production pause. Mike Weiss, the current showrunner of the flagship FBI, then stepped in to helm CIA, helping the team refine the series without the need for a traditional pilot. This straight-to-series order, while efficient, meant the production had to evolve organically during filming.
Ellis addressed the delays head-on, framing them as ultimately beneficial. "The best things come to those who wait," he teased in the Us Weekly interview. The decision to slot CIA into the midseason lineup, he said, allowed extra time to polish the show. "That’s actually been beneficial for us because we didn’t have a pilot on this show. Sometimes it’s difficult to really know what a show is until you’ve actually made it. Then you start looking at it and go, ‘These are the pieces and whatnot.’ So it’s given us that little bit of time to actually kind of organically work out what the show is."
Reflecting on the final product, Ellis expressed confidence in its appeal. "What I can say is now we’ve got to that point the show is really going to be worth the wait," he continued. "For anyone that loves FBI, they’re going to love it. For anyone who loves the Dick Wolf world, they’re going to love it. And for people that want a new show — that don’t watch either of those things — there’s something for those people as well. It’s got a lot of things and it’s got humor in it as well, which is always a big selling point for me."
The description continued: “When this odd couple are assigned to work out of CIA’s New York Station, they must learn to work together to investigate cases and criminals posing threats on U.S. soil, finding that their differences may actually be their strength.”
This official synopsis from CBS underscores the buddy-cop dynamic at the heart of CIA, blending high-stakes espionage with character-driven humor. The series is set to air Mondays at 10 p.m. ET, filling a prime slot in CBS's lineup following the success of the FBI franchise, which has consistently drawn strong ratings since its 2018 debut.
The Dick Wolf universe has become a cornerstone of network television, with FBI and its offshoots accounting for a significant portion of CBS's procedural drama output. FBI: Most Wanted wrapped its five-season run in 2025, while FBI: International ended after four seasons that same year, leaving room for fresh entries like CIA. Industry observers note that Wolf's partnerships with CBS have yielded reliable viewership, often exceeding 10 million weekly viewers for flagship shows.
Behind the scenes, the multiple exits on CIA echo recent shake-ups across the franchise. For instance, FBI: Most Wanted underwent its own showrunner transitions, with David Hudgins departing before Leight's involvement there. Us Weekly highlighted these patterns in a related article, questioning whether such changes are par for the course in fast-paced network production or indicative of deeper creative challenges.
Ellis's comments suggest a resilient production team undeterred by the hurdles. By avoiding deep dives into FBI's lore, he preserved the unique flavor of CIA's covert operations, which contrast sharply with the more reactive, public-facing investigations of the original series. This separation, Ellis argued, enhances the interplay when the shows occasionally overlap.
As CIA prepares for its debut, anticipation builds among fans of the genre. The series' New York setting ties it geographically to FBI, but its focus on preemptive intelligence work promises a distinct narrative arc. With Weiss now steering the ship, the show aims to carve out its niche within the Dick Wolf empire, potentially expanding the franchise further if initial episodes resonate.
Looking ahead, CBS executives have not commented publicly on the production changes, but the network's commitment to the midseason premiere signals confidence in the final product. Ellis's optimism, coupled with the series' blend of action, humor, and inter-agency tension, positions CIA as a compelling addition to Monday night programming. Viewers tuning in on February 23 will see if the delays have indeed forged a stronger series.
In the broader context of television trends, CIA's journey reflects the high-stakes environment of network drama development, where cast and crew shifts are common amid tight schedules. For Dick Wolf productions, such adjustments have historically led to refined storytelling, as seen in the longevity of shows like Law & Order. Whether CIA achieves similar staying power remains to be seen, but Ellis's endorsement offers a promising start.