Multiple CBS shows will be getting shorter seasons when they return on the ‘26-‘27 schedule, and Fire Country is one of them. However, its spinoff is not. In fact, the other two shows in Friday’s lineup, Sheriff Country and Boston Blue, both of which were renewed early, will run for the entirety of CBS’s upcoming season. So, with that in mind, I spoke to Sheriff Country’s showrunner about this update, and he told me one “silver lining” that comes with the flagship show getting a shorter season.
Now, news about Fire Country, NCIS: Origins, NCIS: Sydney and Matlock getting shorter seasons dropped a few weeks before the Country shows final episodes. So, as we approach their finales on the 2026 TV schedule, I asked Sheriff Country’s showrunner, Matt Lopez, how Fire’s upcoming shorter season impacts his program. In response, he said it mostly has to do with “logistical production stuff.” Also, while it’s not great news, there is a silver lining to all this, as Lopez explained:
I will say it interests me, as the showrunner of Sheriff Country, the idea that quite a few Fire Country cast members may become available to our show.
He makes a great point. Following Fire Country’s Season 5 renewal, it will return next fall, as usual; however, it will only air 13-episodes before bowing out early. Its fellow Friday night shows, Sheriff Country and Boston Blue, will air in their regular timeslots in the fall. Then, they’ll continue with their seasons in the spring, while something else takes Fire's slot.
In the case of Sheriff Country, its flagship series only airing in the fall provides a unique opportunity for more crossover. And that’s the point Lopez was making here. Fire and Sheriff film in Vancouver and around Toronto, respectively, which makes a casual crossover difficult, considering the distance between sets and the schedules of both casts.
However, with Fire Country having a shorter season, there’s more wiggle room for its stars, like Max Thieriot, to appear on the sheriff drama, as Lopez explained:
We've had Bode come over, but it's tricky with Max's schedule, because Max is in so many scenes in Fire Country, and we're on different coasts, and so on. So, the idea, if there's a silver lining, the idea that we could increase our crossover opportunities and building sort of this seamless universe, I think is exciting.
While Bode appeared in an early episode of Sheriff Country, and the crossover gave us great pairings, like Bode and Boone, for the most part, the shows are quite separate. Fire Country getting a shorter season logistically makes it more possible for characters, like Bode, Sharon, Manny, Eve and Jake, to show up in this new show more often. And yes, that’s very exciting.
Right now, Sheriff Country’s writers' room is open, and according to Lopez, they are “breaking the first third” of the second season. So, hopefully, that will include some fun crossover between it and Fire Country while both shows are on the air. Then, in the spring, I'm optimistic that we can see more of the fire department over on the sheriff side, as their show goes off the air and their schedules open up.
However, I’m getting ahead of myself. Before we get to that, make sure to watch the finales of Sheriff Country and Fire Country tonight on CBS, starting at 8 p.m. or tomorrow with a Paramount+ subscription. Then, we can start looking toward the future and how these shows might look a bit different as Fire Country airs a shorter season than we’re used to.
