Fire Country is Getting a Spinoff Nobody Actually Wants, It Seems
CBS is jumping the shark, fans say.
Last year, CBS' new procedural about a group of inmates who double as firefighters to reduce their sentences became the network's biggest primetime hit, drawing millions of viewers to their screens each week. The network obviously saw a lot of potential in Fire Country, renewing it for a second season just a few episodes into its run.
Now, it looks like CBS is ready to turn Fire Country into a franchise, even though the second season has yet to premiere.
At the Banff World Media Festival earlier this week, CBS chief George Cheeks expressed an interest in turning Fire Country into a franchise by branching out the storylines in multiple directions, making interesting side characters the stars of their own shows in the future.
'We are focused on mass-appeal franchises. 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,' the CBS boss said.
However, fans who were already disappointed by Fire Country's controversial Season 1 finale are not in favor of such an idea, arguing that the show is still far too young to be turned into a franchise. Even though the network needs new compelling shows to compete with the streaming giants, a Fire Country spin-off will most likely flop, fans say.
'They would have to set up a storyline that has potential to turn into a spin-off. They haven't done that yet. So far, they haven't had a storyline that's big or been flushed out enough to eventually become a spin-off. They kind of tend to resolve their drama in the episode or an episode or two after,' one fan said.
Furthermore, every character on Fire Country is essential to the show's success in future seasons. If some of the heroes are written out of the main series in favor of their solo spin-offs, the whole Fire Country will simply fall to pieces, as Max Thieriot alone is not capable of carrying the show.
Hopefully, CBS will put their franchise plans on hold for now, as Fire Country needs a lot more time to really come into its own.