Appearing at the Banff World Media Festival on Tuesday, CBS chief George Cheeks hinted that his recent hit new drama “Fire Country” could end up launching “NCIS” or “FBI” style spin-offs.
Speaking to Deadline, Cheeks said the network has been “focused on franchises with mass appeal” before as well as “expanding universes, reinventing, but also creating new franchises.”
Noting that “Fire Country” was “the number one show this season,” he says it “completely lends itself to creating a whole new universe” and “it’s really important for us to double down on our franchise goal.”
Cheeks explained that once the series was commissioned for a full season, he told the creators “let’s start talking about ideas for new expansions…they’ve come up with some great ones already.”
There’s no timeline right now for the spinoffs, and he’s quick to point out that they’re “not necessarily looking at next year,” but rather when they’re ready. It’s also open to streaming elsewhere, either as a CBS Original or as a Paramount Plus Original.
Max Thieriot, a former Bates Motel and SEAL Team alum, co-created and starred in the series about a young convict who volunteers for the California Conservation Camp Program, in which prisoners help the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
He ends up being assigned to his hometown in northern California where he must work alongside old friends, fellow inmates, and elite firefighters to put out the massive fires ravaging the area. Kevin Alejandro, Jordan Calloway, Stephanie Arcila, Jules Latimer, Diane Farr and Billy Burke co-star.