In 2023, CBS premiered the first international spinoff of the NCIS franchise, titled NCIS: Sydney. The eight-episode series follows U.S. NCIS agents collaborating with Australian police to investigate naval crimes in the Pacific. Originally intended to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S., it found a spot on CBS’s fall schedule due to actors’ and writers’ strikes.
NCIS: Sydney concluded its first season on Jan. 23, leaving viewers with a cliffhanger suggesting Colonel Rankin (Lewis Fitz-Gerald) might be involved in kidnapping Sergeant JD Dempsey’s (Todd Lasance) son. While the show has not been officially renewed for Season 2, CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach expressed optimism about its future in an interview with Deadline.
“We’re thrilled with how NCIS: Sydney did. It’s not just a win for CBS, but it’s really a win for all of Paramount, for Paramount+, for CBS Studios and Paramount International,” she said. The series averaged 6.54 million viewers per episode, according to The Wrap.
One key to NCIS: Sydney’s success is its fresh take on the familiar franchise. As the fourth NCIS spinoff, it distinguishes itself with a uniquely Australian identity, telling stories that can only be experienced in Australia. Reisenbach sees both NCIS: Sydney and the upcoming NCIS: Origins as opportunities to attract new audiences while remaining true to the DNA and loyal fan base of the shows.
Despite CBS not officially renewing NCIS: Sydney, Reisenbach expressed a positive outlook, promising news to come soon. The cast, too, is eager for the show’s potential continuation.
“Obviously, the dream for us would be to go back and do more seasons of the show because we just loved every second of it,” Lasance told Parade. However, the intense cliffhanger in the season finale, “Blonde Ambition,” has left both fans and the cast anxious for what happens next. The finale saw JD successfully exchanging captured criminal Ana Niemus (Georgina Haig) for his kidnapped son, ending with a gripping phone call to Colonel Rankin that has viewers eagerly awaiting the resolution.
While waiting for updates on a potential Season 2, fans can stream NCIS: Sydney Season 1 on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
