Fans will be able to enjoy the entire FBI Tuesdays lineup for this season.
FBI: International and NCIS: Hawaii are the first new shows of the 2021-22 season to get full-season orders from CBS.
This means that the much-hyped FBI Tuesdays will continue to dominate the weekly lineup for a long while yet.
FBI Tuesdays are a big success
That these two spin-offs are already massive hits should be little surprise given their attachments to established successes.
Many were surprised when CBS announced they would be moving NCIS from its long-time home on Tuesday nights (where it became one of the most-watched shows on television) to Mondays.
While it has seen a dip in the ratings in its new night, the series remains strong, with 8.5 million watching live and then adding nearly 3 million more via online playbacks.
With that as a lead-in, NCIS: Hawaii has been doing very well and FBI: International not far behind. Currently, they rank as the No.1 and No.2 most-watched new series among total viewers in most current Nielsen ratings, averaging 8.05 million and 7.88 million viewers, respectively.
“These two terrific new dramas are off to a tremendous start,” said Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment. “They have significantly strengthened and improved our lineup on their respective nights and are generating huge increases on our streaming platforms as well. We applaud the talented producers, writers, and casts on their compelling storytelling and performances, which are clearly resonating with viewers.”
Since taking over NCIS’ 8/7c time slot, the mothership FBI has seen a slight decrease in ratings from Season 3 but still pulling in an average of seven million viewers live with more added in online viewing. It should be noted that the series has had to go up against NBC’s The Voice.
FBI: Most Wanted has remained overall steady in its regular 10/9c time slot.
FBI: International pours on the thrills
FBI: International’s premiere was the final part of a three-episode crossover with FBI and FBI: Most Wanted. It introduced the “Fly Team,” a special FBI unit based in Budapest that handles cases of Americans in danger abroad.
Following that September 21st premiere, FBI: International settled into its 9/8c time slot in between the other two FBI shows. That’s allowed it to remain steady in the ratings and help the FBI Tuesday night work well.
While it lacks any “big name” stars, the series does have some intriguing characters. For example, the pilot ended with the twist that team leader Forrester (Luke Kleintank) and second-in-command Kellett (Heida Reed) were actually lovers.
While Kellett teased possibly being transferred to Washington D.C., she changed her mind after she was shot and wounded in a case. That made her realize she wanted to stay with the team and Forrester.
Now with a full-season order, it’s likely the FBI: International team will have more time to flesh out the characters while amping up the thrills that make FBI Tuesdays a major destination for millions of TV viewers.
FBI: International airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on CBS.