The three FBI shows were going strong on CBS heading into the 2025 TV schedule, with the network keeping them grouped together for a full night of primetime on Tuesdays. So, it came as quite a surprise when news broke that CBS had cancelled FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International, with only the original FBI safe after a three-season renewal in 2024. The Most Wanted cancellation reminded me of a conversation I had with director Milena Govich, and now I'm wishing that CBS' drama could simply move to streaming with a Paramount+ subscription like how Law & Order: Organized Crime moved from NBC to streaming with a Peacock subscription.
I'm just not ready to say goodbye to the characters, especially since Season 6 has introduced juicy personal stories to go along with the gruesome cases of the week. Govich directed one of the most brutal episodes of the new year, complete with a meat tenderizer as torture device. It also wasn't her first outing in the expansive Dick Wolf TV universe. Her latest episode of Most Wanted was her eighth of the show, while she also directed multiple episodes of FBI, FBI: International, One Chicago, Law & Order, and... Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Like FBI: Most Wanted, Organized Crime spent several years in the 10 p.m. ET time slot of a night full of franchise action, but it was axed from NBC following its Season 4 finale in 2024. That wasn't the end of Christopher Meloni's show, though, as it was moved to become a Peacock streaming original. Knowing that OC has a second life after losing its NBC slot makes me wish for the same for Most Wanted.
Since the cancellation news had me thinking back to the episode that brought back a talented X-Files vet and the challenges that Milena Govich described as "half of an action movie," I also flashed back to what she said sets Most Wanted apart. The former Law & Order actress told me:
I come from a performing and acting background myself, so anytime you can really dig into these juicy, emotional moments, or these relationships, or anytime a relationship is taking a turn within a scene, or something's changing, that's always very exciting to explore. And the great thing about Most Wanted is that they've struck a nice balance with that.
Procedurals aren't really known for emotional moments or ongoing relationship storylines, and Most Wanted didn't have a ton of those in the earliest seasons, but the show has evolved in recent seasons. There are personal stories for each of the series regulars, while the cases haven't gotten any less brutal.
Hearing this described as a "great thing" from Milena Govich as a director who has been all over the world of Wolf Entertainment carries weight, and hits me harder in the wake of Most Wanted's cancellation than it did when we first spoke in February. Not many people have credits on so many shows within one franchise, after all. Govich went on:
Like I said, we are shooting the action movie, but we also take those few scenes each episode to really check in with our characters, and that's really important in a procedural, because the characters are the reason we're watching, right? We're not just watching anybody go chase these bad guys. We're watching these people, and the more we connect with the with our main cast, I think the more exciting the ride is.
All in all, I can't help but feel that Most Wanted is the one of the three FBI shows that could really thrive on streaming if it got a save like Organized Crime did elsewhere in the Wolf world. It's not hard to imagine the show becoming more serialized on streaming either, like what happened with Criminal Minds: Evolution, which also makes the most of the switch from CBS to Paramount+ by dropping F-bombs. I'm bummed about FBI: International being cancelled as well, but Most Wanted just seems like it would fit.
Unfortunately, the cancellation news didn't come with reports that FBI: Most Wanted was being considered for a second chance, so the most fans may be able to hope for is cast members to move over to FBI or FBI: CIA if the spinoff gets a series order. I'd be surprised if Shantel VanSanten at least doesn't have a future dropping in and out on FBI thanks to Nina's relationship with John Boyd's Scola.
For now, CBS' FBI Tuesdays are still going strong, with the original airing at 8 p.m. ET, International at 9 p.m. ET, and Most Wanted at 10 p.m. ET. You can also find earlier episodes of the current season on Paramount+. Most Wanted will at least hit the 100-episode mark before the series finale mark, so there is one more milestone left.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
