Fire Country, NCIS Spinoffs Get Shorter Seasons at CBS
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- Fire Country Season 5 receives a 13-episode order from CBS, down from 20 episodes this season, with the show undergoing a showrunner transition as Eric Guggenheim replaces Tia Napolitano.
- NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney each get 10-episode orders for next season, down from 18 and 20 episodes respectively, as the two procedurals will share the Tuesday 10 PM slot in 2026-27.
- Matlock returns for Season 3 with a 13-episode order, reduced from 16 in Season 2 and 19 in Season 1, as creator Jennie Snyder Urman sets up a new arc following the Wellbrexa storyline that dominated the first two seasons.
- CBS is adding three new dramas — Cupertino, Einstein, and NCIS: New York — plus comedy Eternally Yours, while dropping Watson, The Neighborhood, and DMV from its scripted roster.
- Ghosts secures a full 22-episode Season 6 order despite being held for midseason, with CBS commissioning Halloween and Christmas specials to pad the count.
- NCIS: New York and Cupertino will produce full 20-episode seasons for fall 2026, while midseason entry Einstein gets a 13-episode order.
- Sheriff Country and Boston Blue both launched strongly in their first season, overshadowing veteran Friday anchor Fire Country in the ratings — a factor the network cited in trimming the flagship's order.
Why it matters: CBS is prioritizing slate breadth over episode depth, adding four new scripted series while trimming episode orders for established performers like Fire Country, once its most-watched new broadcast series. Fans of the franchise, whose two rookie spinoffs outperformed the mothership this season, will get less of the show that built the brand in the first place.
