9 CBS Stars React to Their Show Renewals (Exclusive)

Several CBS stars spoke to PopCulture.com about the good news that their shows are coming back for another season.

Although the network had a brutal wave of cancellations that included the FBI spinoffs and S.W.A.T., among others, a chunk of CBS’ current lineup survived.

Over the last few months, PopCulture has had the pleasure of interviewing a handful of stars from some of your favorite CBS shows following the renewals. We’ve rounded up all of their reactions and sentiments about coming back for more. CBS’ 2025-26 schedule was also recently released, meaning that in a matter of months, most of these shows will be back for their new seasons, but the wait will be worth it. Take a look at what some of the stars had to say.

Alana De La Garza (FBI)

Amid CBS’ wave of cancellations and the shows awaiting their fates, FBI was the one that didn’t need to worry as the Dick Wolf procedural received a three-season renewal last year. There are still at least two seasons left, and when PopCulture.com spoke with Alana De La Garza, who plays Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, the actress reflected on the series’ success as the franchise prepares for the CIA expansion this fall.

“I mean, I love it,” she said. “I think it’s such a gift to be part of a show that people actually connect with and love. I love meeting people on the street, like, ‘Oh, my God!’ It’s great. I just want to hug them and be like, ‘Thank you for watching.’ But it’s fun because we’re on the journey with them. We’re just a family trying to shoot a great show that we’re lucky enough to be involved in. And it’s a blast. It’s great.”

FBI Season 8 will air on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET this fall.

Eve Harlow (Watson)

Watson star Eve Harlow told PopCulture she’s “really excited” about the freshman medical drama’s renewal. Harlow, who plays Dr. Ingrid Derian, couldn’t put into enough words how grateful she is that she gets to come back to work for Season 2 and be surrounded by such a great cast and crew. She also couldn’t help but praise the show’s lead, Morris Chestnut.

“I can’t say enough about how I feel so, so lucky to work with such a good crew and cast,” Harlow exclaimed. “I feel like I’ve always been lucky with working with people that I really like, but this is just next level. Everybody’s so kind and supportive and fun. And every single day, I think, ‘This is such a privilege, such a luxury,’ and it just doesn’t feel like work. Like I said, it feels exciting. Every new script, I was talking to a crew member who will remain unnamed, but they were saying, ‘Out of all the shows I’ve ever worked on, this is the first time when I’m actually reading the scripts and looking forward to the next one.’”

“So that’s the kind of energy that we’re surrounded by on set,” she continued. “And you have Morris, who’s like… my God. When Morris smiles at you, it’s like the sun is shining on you. When you make him laugh, you’re like, ‘Oh God. I just did something good.’ You know? It’s such a wonderful presence to be around that it’s great. I can’t say enough good things. So, yes, I’m very excited for the second season, but it’s because they’ve really lucked out.”

Watson Season 2 will air on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET during midseason 2026.

Fiona Rene (Tracker)

The Tracker star spoke to PopCulture.com just a few weeks after the series received a Season 3 renewal in March. At the time, the actress, who plays Reenie Greene, admitted she still texts co-star Justin Hartley, “and I’ll be like, ‘I don’t understand how this is possible.’ I still haven’t wrapped my head around it. All I know is that I am grateful to keep going as long as they will have to.”

Of course, the renewal wasn’t so surprising as the series remains the number 1 show on the network, only two seasons in. Rene shared she “didn’t even know that the audience that it has now was possible.” She continued, “And I’ve been out to live life in heavy expectation, but with more, I hope. And all of the hopes have just been, honestly, bigger than I could have ever imagined.”

Tracker Season 3 will air on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET this fall.

Jeremy Sisto (FBI)

As previously mentioned, FBI was renewed for three seasons last year, and even though the series will be going into its eighth season this fall, it’s still a “pinch me” moment for Jeremy Sisto. The FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine actor told PopCulture that FBI’s impact is still incredible.

“As an actor, you’re just always grateful to be working, but then to be working on something that has become a staple in someone’s life,” Sisto said. “Somebody said to me yesterday, was like, ‘Yeah. That’s what I do to decompress after a long, stressful day.’ I’m like, right here.”

FBI Season 8 will air on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET this fall.

Max Thieriot (Fire Country)

Since Fire Country premiered in 2022, the series has remained a massive hit on CBS, so it was no surprise that the show managed to snag a fourth season renewal. Especially considering that spinoff Sheriff Country was previously ordered to series. Co-creator and star Max Thieriot reacted to the series’ success and expansion, telling PopCulture it’s “exciting.”

“I mean, I couldn’t honestly be more excited for the fans to get to see this other side of Edgewater that we haven’t seen,” he said. “And obviously, we get to feel a little bit of that in these episodes, but I think people are gonna fall in love with these characters and this other part of our town, and it’s messy in different ways. I think it’s a good exposition to what Fire Country is visually and kind of emotionally as well, but certainly the incidents are far, far different.”

“But I’m excited. It feels crazy to imagine that we’re at this point where we’re about to have our spinoff come out,” Thieriot continued. “Sheriff Country is gonna be sort of birthed into the world this fall, but I feel really good about it, and I’m really excited.”

Fire Country Season 4 will air on Fridays at 9 p.m. ET this fall.

Morris Chestnut (Watson)

Morris Chestnut will be back as Dr. John Watson for Season 2 of the medical drama. The series has done pretty well since its launch in January, so a renewal was only just a matter of time. Ahead of the season finale, Chestnut spoke to PopCulture about the fan reception and the renewal, reflecting on how tough things are in the industry these days, but he couldn’t be more grateful.

“In the challenging landscape of television we’ve got, it’s kind of a challenging landscape as well, but just the challenges that our industry faces now, it’s just an honor, it’s a blessing,” Chestnut said. “So thankful to be working with CBS and have a show on broadcast network. It’s very great.”

Watson Season 2 will air on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET during midseason 2026.

Peter Mark Kendall (Watson)

Just like Chestnut, Peter Mark Kendall is “thrilled” that Watson is returning for Season 2. The actor, who plays twins Adam and Stephens Croft, shared his excitement about being on the series and working with a special group of cast and crew. He also hoped that Watson goes on for quite a long time.

“I think we’re all thrilled,” Kendall explained. “I think this job has been a dream job for so many of us, and the people and the story, but mostly the people that you get to show up with every day, the crew and the cast, are really, really special. I think that we have something that I hope that we get to do for a while because it’s just such a joy.”

Watson Season 2 will air on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET during midseason 2026.

Rochelle Aytes (Watson)

Another Watson star reacted to the big news. Rochelle Aytes told PopCulture she is “processing the news every day” following the renewal. The actress, who plays Watson’s estranged wife, Dr. Mary Morstan, admitted she doesn’t “even know the numbers. I don’t understand the numbers,” which were pretty big. The premiere episode alone brought in nearly 10 million viewers, and the rest of the season remained steady with an average of 5 million viewers. But to Aytes, she just knows that people are enjoying it, and she enjoys working.

“And then I saw something like 8 million viewers. I’m like, really? No. I’m not processing it,” she said. “And I don’t know if that’s just the streaming, whatever. But I will say that what I enjoy is the work, People who are watching it, who I see, maybe neighbors who say that they watch it, it really makes me feel so good. And in terms of processing the next season, I celebrated for 10 minutes, and then my husband and I Googled, ‘Where are we gonna live in Vancouver?’ And we’re now just focused on the next move with planning. But I’m excited.”

Watson Season 2 will air on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET during midseason 2026.

Wilmer Valderrama (NCIS)

NCIS has been on the air for over 20 years, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. The long-running procedural has been renewed for Season 23, and Wilmer Valderrama, who has played NCIS Special Agent Nick Torres since Season 14, told PopCulture that they are all “still incredibly humbled and very blown away” that the show has been able to go on for as long as it has. And that the franchise continues to expand.

“Because the industry is not an easy place right now to continue to keep shows not just relevant, but on the air,” he shared. “It’s a very heavy lift for both the network, the cast, and the shows. It’s a big, heavy lift to try to kind of keep things flowing. So the fact that audiences are still tuning in, that we’re averaging 10 to 11 to 12 million viewers every week, is unreal.”

“It’s unbelievable that this show has such a global audience,” Valderrama continued. “Specifically, in the United States, it does incredibly well. But globally, it’s the number one TV franchise in the world. So it’s just a testament to how much of our upbringing this show has been a part of. So I’m blessed, proud, and incredibly honored to be part of this leading cast and to continue to bring that tradition of NCIS to people’s homes.”

NCIS Season 23 will air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET this fall.