How long will the fans of this cultural phenomenon have to wait for new updates? If you want to know the current status of the two ‘NCIS’ shows, then continue reading to find out more.
As fans eagerly anticipate the fall of 2023, one question looms large in their minds: Will CBS, the beloved network behind the iconic crime drama NCIS that has spanned over two decades with a dedicated fan base, bring back not only the original series but also its highly anticipated spin-off, NCIS Hawai’i? There is no doubt that the last few years for major television networks like CBS have been one of the most difficult ones, filled with many uncounted hurdles that have been heading their way, and sadly, they don’t seem to stop anytime soon!
First, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that halted the production of major television shows, including one of the longest-running shows on the network, that has cemented itself in the network’s legacy! Yes, you guessed it right—it’s the one and only ‘NCIS’ franchise that still includes the two shows that have not ended their run: NCIS and NCIS Hawai’i!
These shows are widely popular among viewers due to the shared universe concept that makes the fans regularly stream every new season, making it one of the reasons why the network gave them early renewals for additional seasons earlier this year for the 2023–24 fall broadcast season, which was confirmed to premiere at the same time slot every Monday starting with NCIS Season 21 at 9 p.m. EST, followed by NCIS Hawai’i Season 3 at 10 p.m. EST on CBS and which will later be available to stream exclusively on Paramount Plus.
When the 2023–24 fall schedule was confirmed, the cheerfulness among the fans was at an all-time high!
But sadly, the celebrations were short-lived as the second wave of hurdles finally made its stop at the doors of the CBS network much sooner than expected, just like other competitor broadcast networks NBC and ABC, due to which the production houses across major Hollywood studios have once again come to a temporary halt! This time around, it’s the ongoing dual strikes, which include the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike along with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, that has caused both writers and actors to join hands in protest regarding their fair compensation.
This situation has gained momentum for the first time in 63 years, putting Hollywood on a double strike that has caused some major disruption in the previously confirmed schedule for CBS, due to which the production has been put on a definite stop until a proper resolution is made for the work to effectively resume and the production to conclude on time without causing any further hurdles to the release. As a result, the previously confirmed 2023-24 fall release window for the two popular police procedural television series has also been changed!
These are major protests that have gained huge massive support after many years and are speculated to last for a while as there is no chance that the actors and writers will back down easily without reaching a fair agreement, which they truly deserve to get as they are the ones who are the backbone of the entertainment industry, and it’s because of them that good scripts are written with great actors taking roles in the projects in order to give it life and bring the magic from the screenplays onto the television screens around the world.
So, there is no chance that we will be getting to see our beloved shows premiere this fall season or sometime later this year!
One of the other reasons is that the network recently released a revised 2023–24 fall lineup, in which the new seasons of NCIS and NCIS Hawai’i have not been mentioned to fill the void of the lack of shows that have been shifted. On the bright side, the network has decided to schedule the NCIS 20th anniversary marathon that will air on September 25, 2023, as a bonus for the lack of NCIS content. So, we assume that the new seasons of NCIS and NCIS Hawai’i will premiere in the first quarter of 2024, which begins in January and last until March, only if the production begins later this year with the same time slot of every Monday without causing any unwanted changes in the previously primetime schedule.
In short, the fans will have to wait for a while as it is impossible for CBS to bring the two ‘NCIS’ shows back in the fall of the 2023-24 broadcast season because the chances of scripts being completed on time, even if by any possibility the strikes are concluded early. It will lead to significant negotiations, which might take time to get things back on track as the pre-production stage alone will take a lot of time to get things back in order, with uncompleted scripts eventually causing delays in the filming of the new episode. Moreover, this shift in the broadcast schedule has already been acknowledged by the network.
Recently, CBS confirmed that the much-awaited NCIS franchise will no longer be a part of the 2023–24 fall broadcasting season, as the network has decided to postpone the majority of their scripted series, just like competitor networks release until next year due to the lack of active writers and actors that are taking part in the ongoing strikes. Many reports have also confirmed that the writing for the upcoming seasons has not even started yet, which is quite unfortunate when we consider the fact that filming usually begins by the summer season if the network is aiming for its fall release later this year.
Eventually, the network’s programming executives faced a daunting challenge: how to captivate audiences and keep them glued to their screens during the fall 2023–24 primetime slots with a lack of scripted shows?
For this issue, after careful consideration, they came up with a brilliant solution that would surely delight fans and reignite their passion for the show that revolves around a fictional team of special agents. CBS has decided to fill these empty slots with reruns of all two beloved NCIS shows, allowing viewers to relive the gripping investigations, heart-pounding action, and unforgettable moments from the prior seasons that have aired over the last few years. This move will allow new viewers to connect with the shows and catch up with prior seasons if they haven’t been able to do so!
On the other hand, there is a minor possibility that if the strikes conclude within the next few weeks, then the series might also begin airing by late 2023, as the creators might get enough time to complete scripts for some episodes for it to begin airing by the end of this year. Of course! This is just pure speculation, and one can only hope for the best! As this has already been hinted at by George Cheeks, President and CEO of CBS and Chief Content Officer, who stated during a keynote at Banff moderated by Deadline’s Peter White:
“We wanted to build our schedule for when the world goes back to normal.” Further adding, “Once we had done that, once we locked it in, we spent a lot of time focusing on what it was going to look like.” He elaborated that a revised CBS fall scheduling plan is expected to be revealed soon. “First of all, obviously it’s going to be very reality-heavy,” he added. George Cheeks was also questioned about the studio’s discussions with the leading Hollywood guilds and the ongoing WGA strike.
He discussed the variations between the broadcast and streaming economic models and referred to the recently achieved preliminary deal with the DGA as “helpful.” Hence, after looking at these statements, we recommend that readers should follow social media to catch up with all the details whenever they are published and follow the announcements made by official sources in order to be up-to-date with the status of the strikes and series production.
Will the official episode count for the two ‘NCIS’ shows be reduced?
When renewed, the two series were given a standard 21 to 22 episode count with an average duration of 39 to 44 minutes, premiering on a weekly basis. But due to cost-cutting or ongoing strikes, the episode count might vary if the network decides to air a shorter season with only 15 to 18 episodes which will help to conclude the run of the respective seasons earlier rather than stretching the plot unnecessarily just for the sake of premiering the episodes.
There is another option available in order to compensate for the few episodes in the new seasons, as the network can opt to make the future seasons (if they are renewed) a supersized one, which will make the fans happy and the network consistent with the series plotlines and character arcs without compromising much on the quality of the content being produced. To avoid early spoilers, all information on the episode names and synopses will be revealed later as the release date approaches.
If you haven’t been able to keep up with the seasons, then you can watch all the earlier seasons of NCIS and NCIS Hawai’i exclusively on the CBS website or the CBS app, depending on the user’s location, which will also later be available to watch on the official website. The viewers may also watch as it airs live through platforms like YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Hulu + Live TV. In order to receive updates on when the show premieres, interested viewers can also enable notifications on the streaming services.
The series is also available on Paramount Plus, FuboTV, and Netflix, along with all the prior seasons. The viewers can also stream it by renting or purchasing it on Vudu, Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, and Google Play, with a vast number of membership plans. Moreover, the series is also available to watch exclusively on Pluto for free based on the viewer’s location. If you don’t have access to the content because of geo-blocking, we recommend trying out any suitable VPN to stream the series.
Mark your calendars! 🗓 The CBS Fall Premiere dates have been set! 🍂 pic.twitter.com/BbLDZ5V2e7
— CBS (@CBS) August 3, 2023
While you wait for more NCIS updates, catch up on previous seasons to recall all the plotlines that have happened so far.