Tom Ellis is back for a second season of CIA, and the show is making a big deal out of it. The new CBS procedural returns Monday, October 5, with a sneak peek that promises a crossover with FBI. It is a stunt that feels less like television drama and more like corporate branding.
Ellis Returns to CIA
Ellis is best known as Lucifer, the devilish antihero he played for six seasons on Fox. Before that, he starred in Miranda as Gary Ellis, opposite Miranda Hart and Patricia Hodge. More recently, he appeared as Oliver in the steamy Hulu series Tell Me Lies and teamed up with Pierce Brosnan for the Netflix thriller The Thursday Murder Club.
His role in CIA has kept fans talking. He starred in the lead for the first season, and now he is back for Season 2. The show premiered in February, and CBS is bringing it back in just eight months.
The Crossover Stunt
The sneak peek, shared exclusively with Collider, shows FBI’s John Boyd, who plays Special Agent Stuart Scola, crossing over into the series. New episodes of CIA will air every Monday on CBS, with streams following the next day on Paramount Plus.
What the Announcement Says
The announcement frames the peek as a major reveal. CBS is showing “dedication to bringing shows back with little to no wait between seasons,” according to the announcement.
The Video Itself
The sneak peek is the centerpiece of the announcement. It is the exclusive content Collider is sharing with readers, and it is the reason the story exists at all. The video shows Boyd crossing over into CIA, and that is the full extent of what is being revealed.
Ellis’s Career So Far
Ellis has built a career by jumping between genres. His work spans comedy, drama, and thriller territory. The CIA role adds procedural television to that list.
The announcement lists his credits:
- Lucifer on Fox
- Miranda as Gary Ellis
- Tell Me Lies on Hulu
- The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix
- CIA on CBS
Each role shows a different side of his range. The CIA return gives him a chance to build on the work he started in the first season.
The Industry Background
Adam Blevins has been covering television since 2022, starting at Agents of Fandom before joining Collider in April 2024. He has written over 3,000 articles for the site, including exclusives on Avengers: Doomsday, The Penguin, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and more.
Blevins primarily covers box office numbers and streaming hits. He has also written gaming features at ScreenRant and completed a set visit for The Chosen. His work appears on X, LinkedIn, and Muckrack.
Key Facts Box
- Premiere date: Monday, October 5
- First season premiere: February of this year
- Second season return: Eight months after Season 1
- CBS airing: Every Monday
- Paramount Plus streams: The next day
- Crossover guest: FBI’s John Boyd as Special Agent Stuart Scola
What We Know
The crossover is real. Boyd will appear in CIA. The premiere is Monday, October 5. The streams follow the next day on Paramount Plus.
Source material: “‘CIA’ and ‘FBI’ Are Officially Crossing Over in New Premiere Sneak Peek [Exclusive],” Collider.
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