Only a handful of episodes of CIA have aired on CBS so far in the 2026 TV schedule, but the network isn't making fans wait until the Season 1 finale for word of whether Agents Bill Goodman (Nick Gehlfuss) and Colin Glass (Tom Ellis) will be back for another round. CBS has officially renewed CIA for Season 2.
That said, there's still one element from the pilot back in February that's still on my mind after I definitely wasn't expecting it... and even Nick Gehlfuss told CinemaBlend he "couldn't believe" it happened.
CIA Is Coming Back For Season 2
If it seems quick that CBS renewed CIA after just five episodes to join FBI's ninth season in the 2026-2027 schedule, there's a good reason. The action-packed series premiere was viewed by an impressive 8.4 million viewers across platforms within seven days. That total accounts for both live linear viewing on CBS and streaming, with the full series so far available now with a Paramount+ subscription. Check out the stars celebrating the news:
When it comes to live broadcast viewership, CIA bumped CBS' 10 p.m. ET viewership on Mondays up 39% from last fall over the course of the first three episodes. That means CIA is a much bigger hit on Monday nights than Watson was, despite Morris Chesnut's optimism about the medical drama on a new night. (Watson returned to its former Sunday time slot to vacate the post-FBI slot for CIA in the new year.)
CIA is also currently beating the network TV competition on Mondays at 10 p.m., placing it above ABC's The Rookie and NBC's The Voice. While it remains to be seen if CBS will make any changes for CIA moving forward, I'm guessing that the new drama will remain paired with FBI, which airs at 9 p.m. ET. Suffice it to say that a lot has gone right since the series premiere!
What Nick Gehlfuss Couldn't Believe
The fast pace of CIA means a lot has happened since Bill joined the team back in the series premiere, including Nikki being captured on foreign soil. Still, I think it's a safe bet that the show wouldn't have gotten such an early renewal for Season 2 if the pilot hadn't done so well on CBS, and the opening minutes of that pilot are actually what have been on my mind since February.
And that is because Radiohead's "Everything in Its Right Place" began to play over that opening scene, which was setting up the crime that would ultimately result in FBI's Jubal (Jeremy Sisto) assigning Bill Goodman to join Colin Glass and Co. on a CIA task force. None of the shows in the expansive Dick Wolf TV world are really known for including iconic tracks in scenes, so I just wasn't expecting Radiohead in the first few minutes.
As it turns out, neither was Nick Gehlfuss! When I spoke with the actor about his co-leading role on CIA, we had both recently watched the series premiere, and he was on the same page about being pleasantly surprised by the song:
Yes, I couldn't believe [it]! I couldn't believe they had that song either. It was great. And how about just no talking for all that time? It was almost like a silent little film for a teaser, and we're gonna be able to do things like that.
Yes, CIA can be added to the list of excellent shows to include "Everything in Its Right Place," including Daredevil: Born Again, Westworld, CSI, and For All Mankind, with the showrunners on the Apple TV+ show explaining why Radiohead was the right call. So, I'm not ashamed to say that despite the CIA premiere airing exactly one full month before the Season 2 renewal, that opening is still on my mind.
Nick Gehlfuss also had more to say about that series premiere opening scene, telling me:
We really tried to create a voyeuristic look of this too, because yes, CIA has a headquarters in New York City, but no one knows where that is. And if we're meant as an audience to be watching them, well, how do we justify that visually with camera angles so you're not right up close and personal, as you wouldn't be? It's like you're not supposed to really be hearing these conversations, but you are. There's these little objects we put in front to give that frame some effect.
As the Chicago Med vet noted, the CIA HQ in New York City isn't exactly a matter of public record, which is another stark contrast between CIA and FBI. While Bill encountered no shortage of hoops to jump through to access headquarters when he joined the task force, FBI's base of operations is literally referred to on the show as 26 Fed. The address is in its very name!
Of course, the bigger focus for Bill thus far in the series is doing his job to the best of his ability while also bonding with his secretive new coworkers. That reflects Gehlfuss' behind-the-scenes experiences, although certainly without any real-life firefights. He said:
I was really building all these dynamics with relationships of all these crew members and everyone, and I was just really happy to see everybody's work come together. We got something to celebrate here.
If he already thought the CIA team had something to celebrate ahead of the series premiere, then everybody on set had even more reasons to cheer once the renewal news was confirmed. I'm not sure that we should expect any future uses of Radiohead, but I do credit the song with helping the new show get off to such a strong start.
CBS' 2026-2027 Primetime Lineup
CBS has wasted no time when it comes to renewals. FBI was already guaranteed through Season 9 back in 2024, while Ghosts scored a two-season renewal in 2025 to guarantee it through Season 6. The network renewed two other freshman shows for new seasons last fall, then another ten series back in January. Check out the full list so far, now that CIA can be added:
- FBI
- Ghosts
- Boston Blue
- Sheriff Country
- Fire Country
- NCIS
- NCIS: Origins
- NCIS: Sydney
- Matlock
- Elsbeth
- Tracker
- Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage
- Survivor
- The Amazing Race
- Marshals (renewed after just two weeks)
- CIA
The 2026-2027 lineup so far is much heavier on drama than comedy, with only Ghosts and Georgie & Mandy guaranteeing laughs next season. Franchises also have gotten a show of faith, as Sheriff Country shares a TV universe with Fire Country, CIA and FBI are in the same world, the NCIS franchise currently occupies all three hours of Tuesday night primetime, and even Boston Blue is a spinoff of Blue Bloods.
The Neighborhood is already set to wrap this spring, so the two shows waiting on renewal (or cancellation) are medical drama Watson and freshman comedy DMV. Watson may have started Season 2 at a disadvantage due to being moved to a new night in the fall, and then returned to Sundays in early 2026.
CBS could be pretty short on comedies if DMV gets the axe, but the network also ordered pilots for two new sitcoms that could need a spot in primetime if they're ordered to series. The first would be a vampire comedy from the showrunners of Ghosts, according to Variety, while Deadline reports that another would star Kate Walsh and Rhys Darby.
For now, though, CIA fans can celebrate the renewal for Season 2 and keep tuning in to CBS on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET for new episodes. You can also catch up on any you might have missed streaming on Paramount+.
