Tom Ellis' Embattled 'FBI' Spin-Off Finally Replaces a Key Role With an NCIS Alum

Tom Ellis' Embattled 'FBI' Spin-Off Finally Replaces a Key Role With an NCIS Alum Image via CBS By  Marisa Williams Published 14 minutes ago Marisa is a Senior News Author for Collider. She graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2018 after majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in Folk Studies. She grew up in Kentucky and currently resides in Indiana with her beagle mix rescue, Este. When not writing about her favorite television shows and movies, she can typically be found hanging out with her dog, reading, listening to Taylor Swift, or fangirling about Doctor Who (usually River Song). Sign in to your Collider account follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

FBI's newest spin-off, CIA, continues to face a rocky road with yet another behind-the-scenes change before the show really gets underway. Michael Michele recently departed the series, and now we know who is taking Michele's place. NCIS: New Orleans alum Necar Zadegan will take on the Chief of Station role. The CIA spin-off already features Tom Ellis (Lucifer) and Nick Gehlfuss. Ellis will play the loose-cannon agent partnered with the buttoned-up FBI agent (Gehlfuss) assigned to the CIA's New York posting. The series will see the partners having to put aside their differences in order to work together and take out threats to national security. The series is slated, despite the behind-the-scenes shake-ups, for Monday, February 24 at 10 P.M. after the flagship FBI.

All the Changes for CBS' 'FBI' Spin-Off 'CIA'

The FBI spin-off, from the mind of Dick Wolf, has seen a number of changes in recent months. In the summer, original showrunner, David Hudgins left, and was replaced with Wolf Entertainment alum and former Law & Order: Special Victims Unit showrunner, Warren Leight. Things seemed to settle for a moment, until Leight's departure from the series was announced earlier this month. Executive Producer Eriq La Salle also departed the series. The cancellations of both FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International originally left CIA with a wide berth to slate itself comfortably alongside the mothership series. Now, there have been understandable production delays — with the change in both the execs and the cast — meaning the show won't premiere until midseason.

The series, however, aims to have its own identity, zeroing in on Ellis' character's more cavalier nature. Ellis explained in an interview earlier this year with Collider, "They’ve [Wolf Entertainment] been incredibly enthusiastic and supportive about what we’re doing. I think there is a shared feeling that we would like to really make our mark as a show." Ellis explained:

"The biggest thing I’ll say about it so far is that initially my character was going to be American, obviously, because he’s a CIA agent. But I met Dick Wolf for about five minutes, in the flesh, and during that conversation, Dick was like, 'Hey, Tom, we’ve got to make your character British.' I was like, 'Really? Do they have British people in the CIA?' And he said, 'It doesn’t matter.' So, my character is now British. He’s a dual citizen, but I speak with a British dialect in it. As Dick said, it’s the perfect cover."

CIA premieres February 23 on CBS. Stay with Collider for the latest updates.

CIA

Like Follow Followed Crime Drama Network CBS Directors Eriq La Salle Writers David Hudgins, Dick Wolf

Cast

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• Tom Ellis Hart Hoxton
• Nick Gehlfuss Bill Goodman
• Natalee Linez Gina Rojas
• Michael Michele

Genres Crime, Drama Powered by Expand Collapse

• TV News
• CIA
• FBI

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