Why Dick Wolf's FBI Is On CBS Instead Of NBC With Law & Order

Dick Wolf's "Law and Order" empire has continued to grow over the years, with the franchise helping to define NBC's primetime programming over the last few decades. But Wolf has some irons in the fire over at CBS with the "FBI" franchise as well. At first glance, that might seem strange: When you think of NBC's lineup, both "Law and Order" and the "One Chicago" franchise come to mind immediately. With that kind of long-running success on one network, it's not very often the creator signs on to work with a competitor. 

The arrangement is unique in broadcasting, but there's a good reason why Wolf's "FBI" shows live on CBS instead of NBC: Namely, the latter for another procedural crime drama. "There was no more beachfront real estate at NBC," Wolf said at The Television Critics Association's 2018 press tour (via The Hollywood Reporter). "And [NBC Entertainment president] Bob [Greenblatt] agreed and basically we've come up with a formula where it will be a profitable venture for both studios because it's a co-production."

Primetime slots on major broadcast networks like CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox are hard to come by, but it may be surprising for some fans to know that even Dick Wolf cannot always sway the people at the top of these networks to make space for one of his new projects.

There just isn't room in the programming schedule sometimes. So the "Law and Order" creator used his experience and unique set of skills to his advantage, presenting CBS the chance to host a procedural that would be co-produced with NBC. That network keeps "Law and Order" running along, while also seeing profits from a competitor's success — and CBS gets a brand-new franchise to spin off as much as possible, with two more "FBI" shows having already come and gone and a third, "CIA,"

Wolf probably likes the sound of all that, as broadcast has been his bread and butter, despite the rise of first cable and now streaming. He told THR, "I am still a broadcast supplier. I have nothing against the concept of streaming. The math is a little daunting to me. I like doing 22, 23, 24 episodes a season in the abstract and not eight, because it takes almost as much work to do eight as it does to do a 24-episode season."