2024 has been a mixed bag for the NCIS franchise. On the positive side, the flagship show was renewed for Season 22, NCIS: Sydney was renewed for Season 2, and two new spinoffs are on the horizon: the prequel NCIS: Origins, set to debut on CBS in 2024, and NCIS: Tony & Ziva, exclusive to Paramount+ subscribers. However, in a turn of bad news, NCIS: Hawai’i was canceled after three seasons. This has left some fans wondering why Hawai’i was axed while Sydney survived, and there are some clues pointing to why Paramount favored the latter.
The NCIS Franchise Is Popular in Australia
Even before NCIS: Sydney premiered, the NCIS franchise enjoyed significant popularity in Australia. Dan Monaghan, Senior Vice President Content & Programming at Paramount ANZ, highlighted this back in May 2023, around the time Sydney began filming. At the Screen Forever 2023 event (via TVTonight), Monaghan mentioned that his “boss” had long discussed the idea of an Australian version of NCIS, a dream that finally became a reality.
Additionally, in announcing Sydney’s Season 2 renewal (via THR), CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach noted that this spinoff helped strengthen the “global power of the NCIS franchise.” Such language suggests that Sydney was attracting more international viewers than Hawai’i, making it an easier decision to continue the Australian spinoff.
Hawai’i Was Likely More Expensive to Produce Than Sydney
Before its cancellation, it was reported that if NCIS: Hawai’i moved forward with Season 4, it would face a massive budget cut, potentially reducing the season to around 13 episodes instead of the usual 22. According to Deadline, the show’s producers had agreed to this and “other concessions,” but CBS canceled it anyway.
Despite Hawai’i and Sydney pulling in similar ratings during the past TV season, it’s presumed that the Australian spinoff is cheaper to produce. This budgetary difference, combined with Sydney’s international appeal, likely led Paramount to conclude that it was more beneficial to continue Sydney and end Hawai’i. This decision has disappointed both fans and the Hawai’i cast, with Jason Antoon trolling CBS on social media, pointing out that the series ranked No. 16 in total viewers for the 2023-2024 TV season.
Currently, none of the NCIS shows, established or upcoming, have set premiere dates. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on their progress, and head over to Paramount+ to watch all of the franchise’s offerings.