Summary
NCIS: Hawai’i’s cancelation already caused a major backlash against CBS, but now I’m more confused about their decision to pull the plug on the series after learning about their new in-development series. Once the flagship series was established, the network found ways to expand theNCISfranchise by launching several spinoffs. Many of them became successful, and most importantly built a solid fan base.NCIS: Hawai’iwas the youngest Stateside local offshoot, only debuting in 2021. But in three years, which includes a shortened final season, even I recognize that it has a loyal and committed following.
I must admit, I’m late boarding theNCIS: Hawai’itrain. I have only started watching the spinoff, after hearing great things about the offshoot. Despite this, I have been closely following the uproar that CBS has gotten sinceNCIS: Hawai’iwas canceled. For context, the network alsopulled the plug onSo Help Me ToddandCSI: Las Vegas, but while I’m sure that there’s also a backlash against them, nothing comes close to the criticism they have gotten for ending theNCISspinoff.
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Based on what I have seen thus far fromNCIS: Hawai’i, I understand the sentiment about its unceremonious ending. Jane Tennant is a brilliant leader. Beyond that, its ensemble is diverse, making for better representation and fresh storylines that couldn’t be done by other procedurals that don’t have the same cast makeup. However, CBS Entertainment presidentAmy Reisenbach has defendedNCIS: Hawai’i’s cancelation, predicting that their revamped lineup has a bigger chance of succeeding. Beyond that, other reports include a cost-management drive and the need for stability in light of the uncertainty of Paramount Global, which is being sold.
If CBS is really looking at growing amid a particularly tumultuous time in the company, then how is greenlighting a procedural that has failed twice to get a series order a better business decision than keeping analready established and growing show likeNCIS: Hawai’i? The network is trying to get theEinsteinrevival remake off the ground for the third time. I’m sure it has its appeal, but it’s an odd time to keep investing in something that has been stuck in development limbo for a while, considering what’s happening business-wise to CBS and its larger company.
Continuing NCIS: Hawai’i Would Have Been A Better Business Move For CBS
I understand that filming on the island is expensive, but at the very least, CBS is already guaranteed returns, consideringNCIS: Hawai’i’s success. Reisenbach revealed that they looked at the numbers, which informed their decision. That said, viewership data revealed thatNCIS: Hawai’iranked as the 16th overall most-watched seriesduring the 2023-2024 season— a big improvement from its previous year. Moreso,Its series finale ranked at number 11 in terms of the largest 7-day lift for primetime endings airing on the key broadcast networks. That’s a solid indication that it is trending upwards.
From an outsider’s perspective, I don’t think that CBS can chalk NCIS: Hawai’i’s cancelation up to cost-cutting while also devoting resources just to launch an untested show such asEinstein.
Considering its growth, why clip its wings before it can even reach its full potential? Upon its cancelation,NCIS: Hawai’i became the shortest-running show in the famed police procedural franchise. Unless there was something else at play, it doesn’t seem like the network was in such a dire position that it had no choice but to unceremoniously end the Lachey-led project. From an outsider’s perspective, I don’t think that CBS can chalkNCIS: Hawai’i’s cancelation up to cost-cutting while also devoting resources just to launch an untested show such asEinstein.
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Fans Are Calling For NCIS: Hawai’i To Return And I Can’t Blame Them
There is no shortage of online movement trying to petition forNCIS: Hawai’ito come back. Public petitions have become popular, and occasionally, they succeed. It’s also worth noting that CBS has a history of walking back on its initial show verdict, as seen with thebacktracking of its original decision to pull the plug onSWAT. Of course, there’s no guarantee thatNCIS: Hawai’iwill be subjected to the same break, but it increases its chances of being uncanceled.
Assuming that CBS is somehow convinced thatNCIS: Hawai’iis worth at least another season, the next challenge is deciding when it can come back. The network has already decided on its fall 2024-2025 TV schedule, and its spinoff’s old slot is being taken over byMark Harmon and Austin Stowell’sNCIS: Origins, which tackles Leroy Jethro Gibbs' early days in the agency. I’d rather wait longer for a mid-season comeback forNCIS: Hawai’iseason 4than not have any more of it and leave the season 3 finale cliffhanger unresolved.
NCIS: Hawaii
Cast
NCIS: Hawaii is the fourth spin-off of the police procedural series NCIS. It follows a team of Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents as they investigate a wide variety of difficult and shocking crimes. Vanessa Lachey stars as Jane Tennant alongside Alex Tarrant as Kai Holman, Noah Mills as Jesse Boone, Tori Anderson as Kate Whistler, Yasmine Al-Bustami as Lucy Tara, and Jason Antoon as Ernie Malik.
