The three shows of CBS' FBI franchise would normally be airing new episodes at this point in the fall, but the 2023 TV schedule is missing a lot of its usual scripted options as the year winds down. Luckily, the network is airing a docuseries that has found – to quote the executive producers – the "secret sauce" of true crime with FBI True. Still, it's hard not to miss Agent Maggie Bell and Co. after the series hit the 100-episode milestone back in the spring. When FBI True EP and FBI creator Craig Turk spoke with CinemaBlend, he reflected on that milestone.
The Season 5 finale of FBI was also the 100th episode, and when I spoke with Craig Turk about FBI True, I asked his thoughts on the docuseries coming to network TV after the scripted show hit triple digits in the spring. He shared:
Incredible, incredible. The success of FBI, the scripted series, is fantastic. We've been obviously thrilled for that. And then to add FBI True and to have it on CBS [gives] another dimension to these stories. I think the shows are really complementary. They show off these kinds of stories, what [these agents] are capable of, what the toll that this job can take is, and what the highs and the lows of it are. It's great. There are so many stories to tell and so many characters to feature that I feel incredibly fortunate to have that extra time to do it. And I think FBI True is going to be a pretty tremendous addition to the lineup.
The fifth season of FBI (available streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription) nearly ended in a very personal tragedy for the team as Scola faced the possibility of losing Nina and their child. Fortunately, there was a happy ending after a case that was so intense that I found myself wishing that it had been a two-parter.
Unfortunately, the SAG-AFTRA actors strike is ongoing despite the end of the WGA writers strike, so there's still no saying when the hit CBS drama will return for Episode 101 and Season 6. FBI True is a great fit for primetime for now, though, as Craig Turk pointed out that the shows are "complementary."
While the docuseries tells true stories directly from the agents who lived the cases – starting out on CBS with the harrowing "Boy in the Bunker" episodes – both shows deliver seriously high stakes. In fact, Craig Turk isn't the only EP with ties to FBI. Fellow executive producer Anne Beagan was an FBI agent herself, and went on to work as an FBI special advisor on TV shows including FBI and the Most Wanted spinoff.
FBI True was originally only available streaming, but was added to primetime for the final months of 2023 when the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes meant that the normal mainstays wouldn't be ready for fall returns. CBS will also air some never-before-seen episodes that aren't available on any streaming platform.
Plus, FBI still has a presence in primetime. The network has been airing repeats on Tuesday nights, although the 10 p.m. ET time slot has usually belonged to FBI: Most Wanted going back to its very first season in 2020. Hopefully the parent show as well as Most Wanted and FBI: International will be able to salvage some of the 2023-2024 TV season, but for now, you can find the FBI True docuseries on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.
