FBI: International
Season 1 M-Net (*101) 20:30 Drama
Threats against the US come from all corners of the world, so it makes sense for them to have some form of authority and law enforcement across the globe. That’s the FBI Fly Team in spin-off drama series FBI: International, and it’s been a learning curve, says lead star Heida Reed – she plays Special Agent Jamie Kellett. “I didn’t know that the FBI had offices in so many countries. I thought that stopping international attacks on our country was the job of the CIA. But we’ve learnt so much about the FBI.”
The show is a spin-off from super producer Dick Wolf’s original series FBI (on M-Net at 19:30) and there are crossovers with their other show FBI: Most Wanted (on M-Net at 21:30), and that makes it fun for the actors. “It’s great that our characters have their own storyarcs and then we combine forces,” says Heida. “We (FBI: International) are for the most part set in Europe – our head office is in Budapest. But did you know that the real FBI has 63 attaché offices spread across the world?”
Unlike in the show, actual FBI agents can’t investigate cases or make an arrest on foreign soil. “They need one of two things,” explains Heida, revealing that “the agents either need permission from the country they’re in or there needs to be a special approval from Congress in the US, which is then dealt with by the US government on behalf of the FBI”. That’s pretty much the only difference between the show and the real world, but Heida admits that learning from
FBI agents, as well as training with their handbook, was intimidating. “Because it’s international, there are so many rules and laws that need to be followed. That is understandable,” adds the actress, saying that “we get spot-tests by our consultants. They’re FBI agents and they expect us to know every law.”