‘Fire Country’ Planning Special Episode to Air After AFC Championship Game

Fire Country will air a special episode on CBS following the network’s broadcast of the upcoming AFC Championship game on Sunday, Jan. 29. The announcement about the freshman drama series, which usually airs Fridays, was made during Sunday’s CBS coverage of the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The special Fire Country episode will air at 10 p.m. ET following the AFC game, which is scheduled to kick off at 6:40 pm ET.

“Fire Country lit a spark with viewers this season,” said Noriko Kelley, executive vice president of program planning and scheduling at CBS Entertainment in a statement. “Each week, we have seen a steady ratings climb and the show is also the #1 new series on Paramount+. The AFC Championship Game has always been a huge draw for audiences, so it is the perfect opportunity to showcase this new compelling series and grow the Fire Country fan base even more.”

Fire Country, which was created by Max Thieriot, Tony Phelan, and Joan Rater, follows young inmate Bode Donovan (Thieriot), who joins a prison-release firefighting program in Northern California only to be assigned to his hometown, where he must confront his troubled past while putting out the massive fires that put the whole region in danger. Also starring in the series are Kevin Alejandro as Manny Perez, Jordan Calloway as Jake Crawford, Stephanie Arcila as Gabriella Perez, Jules Latimer as Eve Edwards, Diane Farr as Sharon Leone, and Billy Burke as Vince Leone. Michael Trucco and Jade Pettyjohn also appear in recurring roles.

Fire Country has ranked as CBS’ number-one new series this season since its Oct. 7 premiere, averaging 8.26 million viewers to date, according to Deadline. The seven-day streaming audience on Paramount+, CBS.com and the CBS app is up 245% from Magnum P.I. last year based on average minute audience. Fire Country, as well as fellow freshman series East New York and So Help Me Todd have been given full-season orders by CBS.

“CBS is off to a tremendous start this season,” Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment, said in a statement at the time. “We are thrilled to have the three most watched new series, each with their own unique settings, characters and storylines. These dramas are elevating our already successful lineup, resonating with diverse audiences both on-air and on streaming, and continuing to grow each week. We thank the talented casts, executive producers and their incredible writing and production teams for bringing these shows to life. Additional kudos to our CBS programming teams for shepherding these series to success. We are delighted to give them well deserved full season orders.”