Well, if you love television dramas on CBS, you most certainly will be excited by the news coming out of the company today. As part of a raft of renewals, the network has decided to bring audiences yet another season of NCIS: Sydney. That’s even though the first season didn’t explode out of the box for some, as it holds a 28% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing. NCIS: Sydney did enjoy impressive ratings on CBS after its premiere in the fall of 2023. The show returned recently for its second season. The latest renewal shows the network’s continual faith in the long-running, ever-expanding NCIS franchise. The network has also renewed the flagship series and NCIS: Origins.
NCIS prides itself as one of the longest-running television series in history. The procedural drama has spawned six spin-offs, with NCIS: Sydney serving as the first-ever NCIS spin-off outside the United States as part of an ever-growing media franchise. The series is created by Morgan O’Neill, with the story following the brilliant team of U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) agents and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) as they work together to fight naval crimes. The story is led by Olivia Swann as NCIS Special Agent-in-Charge Michelle Mackey. She is joined by Todd Lasance as AFP Second-in-Command JD Dempsey, Sean Sagar as NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson, Tuuli Narkle as AFP Liaison Officer Constable Evie Cooper, Mavournee Hazel as AFP forensic scientist Blue Gleeson, and William McInnes as AFP forensic pathologist Roy Penrose.
The NCIS franchise has spun off six shows since its premiere in 2003. These include NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawaiʻi, and NCIS: Origins, which is the most recent addition to the franchise. The show follows the burgeoning career of a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs in 1991, portrayed by Austin Stowell. The show chronicles the early years of one of NCIS’ most beloved characters, played by Mark Harmon.
Potential Crossovers That Might Include ‘NCIS: Sydney’? What Are the Chances?
The geographical setting of Sydney is a testament to the global appeal of the NCIS franchise as a whole. There is always the potential for a crossover, with the series already making mention of NCIS Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll). So what are the chances of a potential crossover? Sydney showrunner O’Neill discussed the challenges of pulling that off, saying:
“It’s a challenge for us. We’re not just in the studio next door. We can’t just pull Rocky Carroll out and drag him on our set. It’s not quite that easy. But I would say the great thrill of a franchise like NCIS is that it’s an interconnected world. Fans love that it is, and we’re certainly trying to work out ways where we can satisfy the desire for a kind of crossover or an interaction of sorts. So that may be happening in our future, I suppose, is the best way to put it.”
NCIS: Sydney airs Fridays on CBS with past episodes available to stream on Paramount+.