When is the beloved series returning to CBS in 2023 or not? Here is everything we know so far about FBI Season 6.
The summer streaming season has finally arrived on CBS, and the anticipation among various fandoms has reached new heights as they have been speculating for a while if their favorite shows will be a part of the schedule or not. If you are wondering the same, then we are certain that one of the most talked-about series in the catalog is none other than the FBI franchise.
There are many queries circulating on the web relating to its current status, which has been raised by fans for weeks, especially since the 5th season, which aired its finale episode back on May 23, 2023, ended with a major cliffhanger, leaving the fans questioning, “Whether Season 6 is coming on CBS in August 2023 or not?”
There is no doubt in our minds that the fans want to see another chapter that has captivated audiences with its endearing characters that deliver non-stop thrills that will keep you on the edge of your seat. So, it makes sense why the fans are eagerly awaiting the next chapter of the FBI by speculating about when the highly anticipated Season 6 premieres all over social media!
So, for you, we have covered all the details about the upcoming chapter, which promises to have a lot in store. Continue reading to find out more about CBS’s FBI Season 6.
FBI Season 6 Release Date: When is the series expected to return on CBS?
Looks like the FBI has also been trapped in the web of an unfortunate turn of events which is pretty crucial to inform our readers that the much-awaited FBI Season 6 will no longer be a part of the 2023–24 fall broadcasting season and right now, it seems the broadcast network, just like its competitor networks, has decided to postpone the majority of their scripted series’ release until next year.
This report has been confirmed by CBS, as they have decided to shift the entirety of the fall schedule until next year as the network won’t be able to premiere any scripted shows due to the lack of active writers and actors that are taking part in the ongoing strikes, which include the ongoing 2023 Writers Guild of America strike along with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, which started weeks ago and doesn’t seem to end anytime soon, causing many Hollywood production houses to halt their work temporarily.
Many reports have also confirmed that the writing for the upcoming season has not even started yet, which is quite unfortunate when we consider the fact that filming usually begins by the summer season if the network is aiming for its fall release later this year. Hence, there is no chance that the beloved series will be able to be a part of CBS’s 2023–24 broadcast schedule or be released this year at all! The network will revise its fall schedule by airing reruns of FBI’s previous episodes in its usual time slot.
For your consideration, we speculate that the new season might premiere in the first quarter of 2024, which begins in January and lasts until March. Hence, there is no chance that the new season will premiere in August 2023!
Only if the production begins later this year with the same time slot of every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on a weekly basis without causing any unwanted changes in the previously confirmed primetime schedule, in conclusion, any updates relating to this subject are still up for debate, as if the strikes conclude within the next few weeks, then the series might also begin airing by late 2023. As it has already been hinted at by George Cheeks, President and CEO of CBS and Chief Content Officer, who stated during a keynote at Banff moderated by Deadline’s Peter White:
“We wanted to build our schedule for when the world goes back to normal.” Further adding, “Once we had done that, once we locked it in, we spent a lot of time focusing on what it was going to look like.” He elaborated that a revised CBS fall scheduling plan is expected to be revealed soon. “First of all, obviously it’s going to be very reality-heavy,” he added. George Cheeks was also questioned about the studio’s discussions with the leading Hollywood guilds and the ongoing WGA strike.
He discussed the variations between the broadcast and streaming economic models and referred to the recently achieved preliminary deal with the DGA as “helpful.” Hence, after looking at these statements, it’s pretty much safe to say that the majority of the show’s release date from the CBS fall schedule will be changed. So, we recommend readers follow social media to catch up with all the details whenever they are published and follow the announcements made by official sources in order to be up-to-date with the status of the strikes and series production.
Our cast has some fantastic news to share: #FBICBS has been renewed for Season 5 AND Season 6! 💛🖤 #TheFBIs pic.twitter.com/sl6dyTC44e
— FBI (@FBICBS) May 9, 2022
FBI Season 6 Plot: What to expect in the new season?
Due to an early two-season pickup, not much has been disclosed about the plot, but the new season will definitely explore the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. First-class agents, including Maggie Bell and Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, bring all of their talents, intellect, and technical expertise to tenaciously investigate cases of tremendous magnitude, including terrorism, organized crime, and counterintelligence, to keep New York and the country safe.
“Everybody who works on these three shows is over the moon about the multi-year pickups,” added Dick Wolf, executive producer, and FBI brand creator. “We are all incredibly grateful to CBS and our partners at Universal Television and CBS Studios. And I personally would like to thank the incredible casts, talented writers, and dedicated producers, not to mention the three crews who never missed an air date despite the difficulties of producing full seasons during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The FBIs are one of the most successful brands in the entire TV landscape and a powerful cornerstone of our number one lineup,” said Kelly Kahl, President of CBS Entertainment. “They’ve attracted a dedicated, loyal fan base, thanks to the extraordinary vision of executive producer Dick Wolf and the talents of all three outstanding casts and creative teams. I know we and our viewers look forward to two additional seasons of engaging, heroic stories.”
Lastly, even though there is so much silence about the exact plot, there is no doubt that the new season will continue the plot and character arcs from the finale episode, “God Complex,” of the fifth season, in which the viewers got to see that when a prominent doctor is found dead in a ritualistic slaying, the team must race against time to hunt down a religiously motivated serial killer. Later, the viewers see Scola face a life-or-death decision. Take a look at the official promo of the final episode of FBI Season 5 below:
FBI Season 6 Cast: Who will return to reprise their roles?
The main cast members who are expected to return in the new season are as follows:
Missy Peregrym as Special Agent Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki as Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, John Boyd as Special Agent Stuart Scola, Katherine Renee Turner as Special Agent Tiffany Wallace, Alana De La Garza as Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, and Jeremy Sisto as Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine. The series is produced by Wolf Entertainment, CBS Studios, and Universal Television.
In addition to this, the recurring cast who are also speculated to return for the new season includes Taylor Anthony Miller as Kelly Moran, Vedette Lim as Elise Taylor, James Chen as Ian Lim, Shantel VanSanten as Special Agent Nina Chase, Roshawn Franklin as Agent Trevor Hobbs, Mara Davi as Samantha Kelton, Caleb Reese Paul as Tyler Kelton, and Emily Donahoe as CIA Rep Anne Potter. Moreover, Dick Wolf, Arthur W. Forney, Peter Jankowski, and Turk serve as executive producers.
There can be some new additions and removals from the cast if the show creators want to expand the plotlines, which will be confirmed later once the release date for the new season is disclosed by the CBS network. Until then, everything relating to the casting announcement is a rumor until verified by official sources.
Hey #FBIFam! Just dropping in to show you some ✌️ and 🫶 from #TheFBIs. pic.twitter.com/FfTJ0Qv1V9
— FBI (@FBICBS) June 22, 2023
FBI Season 6 Episode Count: Where to stream them?
When renewed, the series was given a standard 21 to 22 episode count with an average duration of approximately 44 minutes, premiering on a weekly basis. But due to cost-cutting or ongoing strikes, the episode count might vary if the network decides to air a shorter season with only 15 to 18 episodes which will help to conclude the run of the 21st season earlier rather than stretching the plot unnecessarily just for the sake of premiering the episodes.
So, the chances of the official episode count decreasing aren’t far-fetched, as the network might decide to air a shorter season which will be a direct result of the ongoing strikes. After all, there is no chance that any major network like CBS will rush to produce all the episodes in such a short time frame when the scripts are not even completed, which can cause major chaos on the sets. When available, the episodes will air on CBS and later on Paramount Plus, just like the prior seasons.
The viewers can also catch up on all the seasons on FuboTV. Moreover, FBI is also available for renting or purchase on Amazon Instant Video and Vudu, with a vast number of membership plans according to user preferences. The program also airs on Global on Tuesday nights in Canada. Moreover, the series is also shown on Sky Witness in the UK. In Southeast Asia, the show airs on Thursdays at 9:45 p.m. on AXN Asia.
FBI Season 6 Frequently Asked Questions
When was the series renewed for Season 6?
Back in May 2022, CBS renewed the series for a fifth and sixth season. The fifth season already premiered all the episodes on September 20, 2022, and concluded its run on May 23, 2023.
What is the filming status?
As of writing this, the filming of the new season hasn’t even begun yet, and it will take quite some time to properly schedule the production stage, which usually commences around the summer season in the month of August after the crew and cast take a short hiatus. Though the fans are optimistic that the same schedule will be followed this time around, reality looks a bit dull!
Due to the ongoing actors’ and writers’ strikes, many networks have decided to close their productions for a temporary period of time until a proper resolution is made.
This strike has caused a major shift in the 2023–2024 primetime schedule, leading to the new season eventually returning sometime around the first quarter of next year. We’ll just have to wait and see what the next few months have in store for us in relation to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike along with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, as right now, the filming status is neither here nor there.
Is there any promo available?
As stated above, the network hasn’t released any new promos for the seventh season as filming hasn’t commenced, leaving a lot of time for the official marketing to begin, which usually begins a month or two before the premiere. So, there is a lot of time left for such a promotional tour to begin. We’ll just have to wait and see what the next few months have in store for us in relation to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike along with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, as everything concerning the filming status is also neither here nor there!
Ultimately, there is a huge chance that there will be a delay in the release of such promos.
Still not over #FBICBS's season finale and 100th episode! Tell us some of your favorite moments from the past 5 seasons. 👇 https://t.co/4WWW3ptXto
— FBI (@FBICBS) May 24, 2023
While you wait for more FBI Season 6 updates, catch up on previous seasons to recall all the plotlines that have happened so far.