CBS: ‘Fire Country’ To Have Shorter Season 5 With Reduced Order

EXCLUSIVE: CBS‘ fall 2026 schedule is status quo on Fridays. As the network’s Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach said at the schedule reveal earlier this month, “The CBS Friday night entertainment lineup has been No. 1 for an incredible 16 straight seasons, so we’re sticking with what works, Sheriff Country at 8, Fire Country at 9, and Boston Blue at 10.”

However, unlike the 2025-26 season, which featured the three drama procedurals on for the duration, Fire Country will depart the lineup early next season, Deadline has learned. According to sources, the firefighter drama, which had been producing full seasons since the start (except for the strike-impacted 2023-24), has received a 13-episode Season 5 order, down from 20 this season.

It is not alone. When CBS unveiled the surprise new New York spinoff starring LL Cool J joining the Tuesday NCIS lineup, it was flanked on the fall 2026 schedule by the mothership NCIS and prequel Origins, with the previously renewed NCIS: Sydney not on.

As Deadline revealed at the time, NCIS: Origins is getting a reduced Season 3 order and will be replaced in the 10 PM time slot by NCIS: Sydney in midseason. According to sources, Origins and Sydney will each produce 10 episodes next season, down from 18 and 20, respectively, this season.

Also producing 13 episodes in 2026-27 is Matlock, which will return in midseason for its third season, I hear.

Reps for CBS declined comment.

The episode count reductions are understandable given the size of CBS’ scripted roster for next season. While most broadcast networks are largely keeping the volume of scripted series consistent year-to-year amid ongoing broadcast business challenges in the streaming era, CBS is going for a sizable increase in 2026-27.

With the majority of its current slate performing well, the network is not bringing back only one drama, Watson, and two comedy series, The Neighborhood and DMV. At the same time, CBS is adding three new drama series, Cupertino, Einstein and NCIS: New York and one comedy series, Eternally Yours. Cupertino and NCIS: New York, which are on the fall schedule, will produce a full-season load of 20 episodes each; Einstein, which will debut in midseason, has a 13-episode order.

NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney will now share the Tuesday 10 PM slot, with their total, 20 episodes, equaling a full-season order size at CBS for drama procedurals.

Fire Country‘s episode trim is somewhat surprising as it has been a signature series for CBS since its breakthrough first season, in which it ranked as the most watched new broadcast series. It also has spawned a franchise for the network.

Four seasons in, Fire Country continues to be a solid performer. This season, it helped launch two new offshoots on Friday, Sheriff Country and Boston Blue, which both shot out of a cannon and overshadowed the veteran anchor a bit.

While they all easily passed the renewal ratings threshold at CBS, Fire Country, NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney‘s multi-platform viewership has been a little more modest than other dramas that have received full-season orders for next season.

It is unclear yet what will succeed Fire Country on Fridays in midseason. CBS has both Matlock and Einstein on deck and three available slots, an hour on Friday, Monday, where Harlan Coben’s Final Twist is on at 10 PM in the fall, and Sunday where an hour opens up after end of football season every year. One of them could potentially go to an unscripted series.

For Matlock, which, like Fire Country, was the most watched new broadcast series of its maiden season, the reasons for the smaller order, 13 vs. 19 in Season 1 and 16 in Season 2, are creative. The show, which was on the fall schedule the last two seasons, is being held for midseason as it is headed for a creative revamp after wrapping the major Wellbrexa storyline that dominated the first two seasons. Creator Jennie Snyder Urman is now taking some time to set up a new arc for the show in Season 3.

While midseason entries typically get reduced orders given the limited time span for their runs, CBS is actually keeping Ghosts at a full-season 22 episodes for its upcoming sixth season despite the supernatural comedy not being on the fall 2026 schedule. The network is doing that by commissioning special Ghosts Halloween and Christmas specials as part of the 22-episode order. (Ghosts showrunners Joe Port and Joe Wiseman will be delivering a total of 42 episodes to CBS next season between Ghosts and their new vampire comedy, Eternally Yours, which will air 20 episodes, starting in the fall.)