When Dick Wolf revealed why FBI focuses on agents and not politics - Here's all about it

FBI fans always notice something cool about the show. Even though the real world is full of arguments about politics, the show almost never goes there, and Dick Wolf actually explained why.

He once said he keeps the show centered on the agents because politics can split viewers in seconds. He does it to avoid dividing the audience and to keep the heart of FBI on the people doing the job every day.

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How Dick Wolf explained the real reason FBI avoids politics

If you’ve watched FBI from the start, you probably felt the vibe right away. The show is about people running toward danger, solving cases, and trying to do the right thing even on the worst days. When Dick Wolf discussed this at a Television Critics Association event in 2018, he made it clear why the show never turns into a political argument.

He told USA Today:

“You can go back over the years. You can’t find many episodes of any show I’ve done that are politically oriented. If you do that, 50% of the audience is (ticked) off.”

That’s honestly the most Wolf thing ever. Straight to the point. He also said at the same event that his team is an “entertainment company” and “not a political PAC,” and that kind of explains everything. The show is designed to entertain people, not to push them to take sides.

Wolf noted that his inspiration came from real agents, including his uncle, who worked in the bureau during the 1950s and 1960s. He said:

“Positive images of the bureau make them happy,” and that many agents told him they feel “underappreciated for what the real work is.” So for him, highlighting their effort matters.

Bringing politics into a show like this could easily distract the audience, and Wolf clearly wants none of that noise.

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Why keeping FBI centered on the agents actually make the stories stronger

One thing fans love about FBI is how grounded everything feels. The cases seem to occur in any neighborhood. And that comes from Wolf’s long-running rule for all his dramas. Back in 2016, he said at another Television Critics Association event, according to Variety,

“They’re heroes. You can’t pay people to run into burning buildings. Doctors are not in it for the money any more, either.”

Although he was discussing his Chicago shows at the time, the idea fits FBI perfectly.

He has always kept the spotlight on the people doing the dangerous work. Their choices, their pressure, their wins, their mistakes. That’s the emotional core of the show.

He even shared his simple writing rule in 2016. He said,

“We steal the headlines, not the body copy.”

That means the shows use the feeling of real events without copying political messaging.

There was even a moment when NBC shelved an episode of Law and Order SVU during the 2016 election because the story felt too close to a real political situation.

So yes, Wolf knows how quickly things can get messy when politics enters the room. In the show, he keeps the focus on the agents' work rather than the arguments around them. And honestly, that’s why the show hits so well. You watch for the adrenaline and the heart, not for debates.

He explained his reasons clearly, and he sticks to them, and fans get a show that puts the spotlight exactly where it belongs, and that is why the show works well without any of the political noise.

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