Tia Napolitano to Depart as Showrunner of CBS Drama 'Fire Country' After Four Seasons
Tia Napolitano is set to step down as the showrunner of the popular CBS drama series Fire Country after four seasons. She will be leaving at the end of the current season to focus on her own development under her overall deal with CBS Studios. Napolitano joined Fire Country as an executive producer and showrunner right after the pilot and has been leading the firefighter drama since then.
Fire Country had a successful start, becoming the most-watched new series in the 2022-2023 season and showing franchise potential. In its fourth season, Fire Country continues to dominate its Friday time slot, with an average of 8.1 million Live+35 multi-platform viewers. The show also spawned a spinoff, Sheriff Country, which is following in Fire Country's footsteps as a hit new series.
CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach and CBS Studios President David Stapf praised Napolitano for her contributions to Fire Country and the expanding universe it has created. They expressed gratitude for her hard work and look forward to collaborating with her on future projects.
Napolitano, who started her TV career as a writers assistant for Grey's Anatomy showrunners Phelan and Rater, was chosen for the Fire Country showrunner role early on in the show's development. She has guided the series through various challenges, including the writers' strike, L.A. fires, and cast changes.
Reflecting on her time with Fire Country, Napolitano expressed pride in the past four seasons and thanked the cast, crew, writers, producers, fans, CBS, and CBS Studios for the experience. Before Fire Country, she worked on Freeform's Cruel Summer and had credits on Grey's Anatomy and its spinoff, Station 19.
Fans can look forward to new episodes of Fire Country Season 4 returning on February 27. Napolitano's departure marks the end of an era for the show, but her legacy will continue to shape the Fire Country universe in the seasons to come.