Fire Country washed over the competition when it launched on CBS last fall.
The Max Thieriot firefighter drama quickly secured a renewal.
As the ratings continued to burn bright, news broke that spinoffs were being eyed at the network to make the show a franchise akin to NCIS and FBI.
While details about Fire Country Season 2 have been scarce amid the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, details have trickled out about the spinoff.
According to TV Line, two spinoffs are in the works, and one will be sheriff-centered.
The outlet shared the news Tuesday, and naturally, we have some questions.
Would this series follow a sheriff we’ve already met, or will we get a backdoor pilot during Fire Country Season 2?
There’s a good chance CBS would want to assess the strength of a spinoff by introducing the characters in the main series.
It’s a tried and true formula for other big franchises, but we don’t know which direction the network will go here.
CBS Chief George Cheeks discussed the possibility of spinoffs at the Banff World Media Festival in June.
“We are focused on mass-appeal franchises,” Cheeks told Deadline at the event.
“We started with expanding universes, reimagining, but also creating new franchises.
“And again, this season’s number one show was Fire Country, which completely lends itself to building out a whole new universe,” he said before adding:
“So it is really important for us to double down on a franchise focus.”
“It became very clear that not only was the show special, it really felt like this could be a great example of us building together a franchise from scratch,” Cheeks dished.
“And so I’m like, ‘you guys, congratulations, you got your back nine. Now let’s start talking about ideas for new extensions.’
“They’ve already come up with some great ones … We’re not necessarily looking at next year. We’re looking when they’re ready. That’s the beauty of the gestation process,” he added.
“We know that we’re doubling down on this one, so let’s get it right.”
“And whether that means three years down the road or whether that means a Paramount Plus original or a CBS original, we’ll see where it lands.”
With such a lengthy wait for Fire Country Season 2, it’s possible CBS will hold off on any official pickups until the numbers for the second season come in.
It’s hard to imagine the series springing a leak, given its success, but stranger things have happened.
An episode count for Fire Country Season 2 has also not been determined.
With the WGA strike resolved, writing on the season will be well underway, but with the SAG-AFTRA strike still ongoing, there’s no telling when episodes can be filmed.
As a result, it seems like we’re looking at a 10-13 episode second season, assuming the strike is resolved in the coming weeks.
CBS will also have a wealth of content because of its fall shows being pushed to midseason.
Fire Country stars Thieriot (SEAL Team) as Bode Donovan, a young convict seeking redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining an unconventional prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates are partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region.
Related: Fire Country Season 2: Everything We Know
It’s a high-risk, high-reward assignment, and the heat is turned up when Bode is assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son until his troubles began.
Five years ago, Bode burned down everything in his life, leaving town with a big secret.
Now he’s back, with the rap sheet of a criminal and the audacity to believe in a chance for redemption with Cal Fire.
What are your thoughts on one of the two spinoffs being centered on sheriffs?
Hit the comments below.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
