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The CIA has been pretty much in the news! The latest series, a successor of the FBI universe, aimed to globalise procedural storytelling, has faced a huge challenge again. After Michael Michele's departure, executive producer and director of the pilot, Eriq La Salle, announced his exit from the project. Two key exits soon after the announcement of production raise doubts about the CIA's future.
According to Deadline, the departure of La Salle coincides with the ongoing shooting in New York.
Confirmed departures
La Salle’s exit marks a large shift in the CIA’s leadership crew. He was the executive producer and also the director of the pilot episode. His exit reportedly marks a notable shift within the production and creative team in the upcoming CBS project.
Just a few days earlier, Michael Michele, who had been cast to lead the series as the head of the agency’s New York station, left the project. Trade outlets such as ScreenRant and CBR reported on her exit, marking two major personnel changes in short order.
Production status
CIA still continues its production in New York City despite the exit of the cast. As per Deadline, La Salle directed the episode as worked out.
Meanwhile, CBS has not released any comment on the matter regarding the executive producer's position or the possibility of production being held up. This indicates that the network will not stop despite the internal changes.
Therefore, the project is still set to premiere midseason, unaffected by any departures.
Creative changes and a showrunner shift
The upcoming CBS project had already suffered a delay when the veteran writer-producer, Warren Leight, was the one to replace David Hudgins as the showrunner. That move was an indicator of a possible reworking of the series even before it was launched.
Now with La Salle and Michele’s exits, the show’s artistic direction seems to be in yet another round of adjustment. It is still uncertain if these changes will produce a version of CIA that is poles apart from the one originally proposed.
As per Deadline, Michele's role as the head of the CIA’s New York Station may undergo recasting.
Where CIA fits in the franchise
CIA has been pointed out as the fourth major entry in CBS's expanding FBI-branded universe, along with FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and FBI: International. Those previous series were focusing on domestic cases, while the CIA was about the other end of the world, namely the international intelligence operations, espionage, and crises, all handled from New York.
The series was intended to present a global procedural narrative while maintaining a connection with the franchise's core essence. In light of the recent leadership changes, the series' final tone and presentation may differ from the initial one.
What’s next for CIA
At present, filming is ongoing, and CIA is still scheduled for an airing in the middle of the season, provided that there are no more delays. Although uncertain, CBS is likely to announce the casting and creative team if it reconsiders the project’s direction.
The pilot directed by La Salle is still on the cards, but the fact that there is no public replacement for his executive producer role hints that the future episodes may have a different creative hand. This brings in an aspect of uncertainty for viewers and fans of the franchise.
Industry implications and the broader context
In the process of television development, early exits or departures are quite common. However, the situation with the departures of more than one person, involved both in the production as well as casting, casts a shadow of uncertainty regarding execution within the upcoming CIA universe.
Nevertheless, one should note that the departures within the industry are quite common, for instance, the replacement of David Hudgins with Warren Leight.
The changes in the background of the upcoming CBS project are an indication of the complicated process of enlarging the universe of procedural dramas. It is very difficult and at the same time very important to have the shows connected while being innovative in terms of style, location, and size.
Although the executive producer and a head actor left in a very short time, the production is scheduled to continue as planned, and the series is still aiming for a midseason opening.
The execution of the series, which revolves around a powerful partnership at the heart of global espionage, remains to be seen; however, its final tone and direction might change as the new management takes charge. The happenings concerning the show demonstrate the erratic nature of television production, where the main changes can either disturb or redefine a show’s character.
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For the time being, the attention is still on the project’s transformation in the next few months and whether it can turn these setbacks into the advantages of a stronger and more polished vision.
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