Few collections of four-letter words carry as much punch in the realm of television as “Dick Wolf.” Years after the original Law & Order was mercifully, finally, allowed to be buried in its final resting spot—a dark alleyway patrolled only by murderers and guys carrying crates of oranges—the uber-producer continues to create what is, by volume, like a quarter of all TV shows on the planet. (We’re guestimating.) Regardless, though, that number is about to trend even higher, with the news that his FBI franchise of shows is expanding to be International.
That might seem a little bit like a contradiction in terms, given that the FBI is usually forced to operate, y’know, intranationally. But the new series is coming nevertheless, joining the original FBI and its first spin-off, Most Wanted, on CBS. (Meanwhile, Law And Order continues to persist on NBC through Special Victims Unit and the just-launched Organized Crime, while the network also plays hosts to god knows how many Chicago ______ shows.) International will focus on an elite team of FBI agents (because you never see one of these shows about a squad of cops that just absolutely, unequivocally suck shit) “as they travel the world with the mission of protecting Americans wherever they may be.” Because, obviously, the one thing Wolf and his collaborators were somehow denied access to so far was the chance to inject some chill global political opinions into their endlessly churning procedural universes.
FBI: International will debut with a crossover episode with the other two Fibbies next season; the series is being developed by Wolf alongside fellow EPs Derek Haas, Rick Eid, Peter Jankowski, and Arthur Forney.