On February 23, 2026, CBS welcomed viewers into the shadowy world of espionage with the highly anticipated premiere of CIA, a new procedural drama starring Tom Ellis and Nick Gehlfuss. The series, which debuted at 10 PM ET right after the return of FBI Season 8, marks a bold expansion of the Dick Wolf television universe. With its blend of high-stakes action, character-driven storytelling, and a dash of humor, CIA promises to carve out its own identity in the crowded landscape of network crime dramas.
For months, anticipation had been building around CIA, not only because of its pedigree—executive produced by Dick Wolf, David Hudgins, Nicole Perlman, David Chasteen, and Peter Jankowski—but also due to its unconventional development. According to Collider, the series was originally slated for a backdoor pilot, but plans shifted, and it received a straight-to-series order with Lucifer star Tom Ellis at the helm. Showrunner Mike Weiss, known for his work on FBI, stepped in to guide the project, ensuring the show would bridge familiar territory while charting new ground.
The premiere episode, aptly titled "Directed Energy," wastes no time plunging viewers into the action. A top-secret U.S. weapon is stolen in broad daylight from a defense contractor, setting off alarm bells at the highest levels of national security. Enter CIA agent Colin Glass (Ellis), a roguish operative whose methods are as unconventional as they are effective. He's paired with the by-the-book FBI Special Agent Bill Goodman (Gehlfuss), who finds himself loaned to a clandestine CIA/FBI task force. Their partnership, as described by CBS, gets off to a rocky start—but it's precisely their opposing viewpoints that may prove to be their greatest asset.
"When a top-secret weapon is stolen in broad daylight from a U.S. defense contractor, CIA agent Colin Glass is paired with FBI agent Bill Goodman to investigate. Their new partnership gets off to a rocky start, but they soon realize their opposing viewpoints may be their greatest asset," reads the official synopsis from CBS.
The chemistry between Ellis and Gehlfuss is at the heart of CIA. As Yahoo Canada reports, Ellis was attracted to the project not just for its procedural thrills but for its commitment to character depth. "It was a really refreshing conversation from when they first approached me, actually, because ... it was something that, if you're going to ask me about my input, ... then these were things that I brought up. And it was lovely that David Hudgins, the showrunner, had exactly the same instincts about it as well," Ellis shared in a 2025 interview. He emphasized the desire to "move away from the strict procedural thing slightly and make it more of a character piece than the other ones, ... within the boundaries of a procedural, Dick Wolf drama. We're trying to bring some levity to the piece, ... as well as it being a procedural drama."
Indeed, Ellis's approach reflects a broader ambition for the series. "We hear about these agencies, and they feel quite alien from civilian life, but to find the humanity within it, and find the heart within it, I think is how you keep people engaged," he explained. "But trying to, again, sprinkle humanity and heart and humour, I think all of those things are things that naturally, as human beings, we get attracted to."
The supporting cast is equally compelling. Necar Zadegan takes on the role of Deputy Chief of Station Nikki Reynard, while Natalee Linez appears as CIA Analyst Gina Gosian. The show also boasts crossover appearances from familiar FBI faces, including Missy Peregrym as Maggie Bell, Alana de la Garza as Isobel Castille, and Jeremy Sisto as Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine. According to Collider, these crossovers are designed to "make the world of FBI feel bigger but also offer new stories and experiences for both to navigate."
But CIA is determined to stand on its own. Ellis told Yahoo Canada that while there will be "some crossover," the intention is for CIA to be "more of a standalone piece." He elaborated, "We're trying to give it its own identity, and in its delivery, I'm hoping it will be slightly different." This sentiment is echoed in the show's structure, which focuses tightly on the dynamic between Colin and Bill, their evolving partnership, and the unique challenges of covert operations in New York City.
The second episode, "Fatal Defect," teases even more intrigue. When a known smuggler is flagged at the New York border with unidentified cargo, Colin and Bill must track the suspect upstate. Their pursuit leads them to enlist the help of a foreign intelligence officer looking to defect—a plotline that promises to test their burgeoning partnership and highlight the show's knack for blending action with character-driven drama.
Behind the scenes, the creative team has worked to ensure the series feels both authentic and entertaining. Drawing on the expertise of showrunner Mike Weiss and the distinctive vision of executive producers like Dick Wolf and David Hudgins, CIA is crafted to appeal to fans of procedural dramas while offering something fresh. As Ellis put it, "I think one of the things I was really interested in doing was carving a bit more of a character out of it, rather than just being people working for a force and the collective agency. ... I think it was more interesting for me to delve into the two characters at the center of it, and what their relationship is like with each other, and how entertaining that can be in what is a serious drama."
The show's debut has been met with excitement from both critics and audiences, who are eager to see how this "crime-solving odd couple" navigates the murky world of espionage. The series is produced by Universal Television, Wolf Entertainment, and CBS Studios, with episodes written by talents like Mike Weiss and Alex Berger and directed by Ken Girotti and Jon Cassar.
With its strong cast, sharp writing, and a willingness to explore the gray areas of intelligence work, CIA is poised to become a standout in the genre. Whether it's the pulse-pounding tension of a stolen weapon, the subtle humor between mismatched partners, or the quiet moments that reveal the humanity behind the badge, the show aims to keep viewers hooked week after week.
As CIA settles into its primetime slot, viewers can expect a series that respects the traditions of the procedural drama while daring to chart its own course—one partnership, and one secret mission, at a time.