Eric Guggenheim Joins CBS Drama As Showrunner For Season 5

EXCLUSIVE: Eric Guggenheim (Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-0) is returning to the CBS/CBS Studios fold, joining Fire Country as executive producer and showrunner for its upcoming fifth season. He will succeed Tia Napolitano who, as Deadline reported exclusively in January, is stepping down as showrunner at the end the current fourth season after steering the firefighter drama since after the pilot. Fire Country is among the CBS series that have received an early renewal for 2026-27.

Created by Max Thieriot, who also stars, Joan Rater and Tony Phelan, Fire Country was the most watched new series the season it launched, 2022-23. As a Friday tentpole, the series, which continues to win its 9 p.m. time period, helped successfully launch two new additions on the night this season, Fire Country spinoff Sheriff Country at 8 p.m. and Blue Bloods offshoot Boston Blue at 10 p.m.

Guggenheim will executive produce Fire Country alongside Thieriot, Rater, Phelan, Bill Purple and JBTV’s Jerry Bruckheimer and KristieAnne Reed. The series is produced by CBS Studios and distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Guggenheim co-developed with Peter Lenkov and executive produced CBS Studios’ Magnum P.I. reboot, taking over as showrunner after Season 2 when Lenkov was let go following an investigation. Guggenheim ran the show for the reminder of its five-season span, navigating its move from CBS to NBC after Season 4.

Prior to that, he spent five seasons on the CBS/CBS Studios drama Hawaii Five-0, serving as co-showrunner for Seasons 7 and 8. Guggenheim’s credits also include the first four seasons of the NBC drama Parenthood and Netflix’s upcoming Harlan Coben limited series adaptation I Will Find You. He is repped by CAA, Rain and Ziffren Brittenham.