CBS has finished with its renewals & cancellations this season, but it wouldn’t be CBS without at least one sting in the tail… And this year, that dubious honour goes to ‘NCIS: Hawai’i‘, which has been cancelled after 3 Seasons.
‘NCIS: Hawai’i’ follows the first female Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor. She and her team balance duty to family and country, investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security, and the mysteries of the island itself. This NCIS: Hawai’i team is a skilled mix of mainland transplants who’ve relocated to the tranquillity of the Pacific and wizened locals who know their mahalo from kapu. The series starred Vanessa Lachey, Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Jason Antoon, and Tori Anderson.
As you’ve probably guessed, this cancellation comes down to space and money. Regarding scheduling space, CBS found itself in the odd situation of having too many well-performing shows. The network held 14 of the top 20 most-watched (non-sports) programs across US TV this season, but had already committed to producing five new dramas and comedies for next season. With only two (‘Blue Bloods’ and ‘Young Sheldon’) coming to an end, it was clear some shows which would have survived any other year, or on another network, were going to get cut.
On the money side, ‘NCIS: Hawai’i’ was the more expensive show in the franchise to produce. Whilst it was performing well (actually better than some of the shows which were renewed), there is a cost vs return calculation the network needs to make, and it seems the numbers just didn’t balance. Having renewed the main ‘NCIS’ and ‘NCIS: Sydney’, along with ordering the “Young Gibbs” series ‘NCIS: Origins‘ for CBS, plus the “Tony & Ziva” spin-off series for Paramount+, out of all the franchise’s shows, this one was the one they decided they could drop.
Vanessa Lachey, who played series lead Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant, commented on social media she was “Gutted, confused, blindsided,” by the cancellation, but added “Grateful, confident, beloved fans. Processing this news and still being present with my family. I love you all! Mahalo Nui Loa.”
Co-creator Matt Bosack added on his social media: “NCIS: Hawai’i was a dream. And while it’s ended, I am forever grateful to my partners, Christopher Silber and Jan Nash, our amazing cast, led by Vanessa Lachey, the entire crew, and this wonderful island I call home. I’m proud of the stories we were able to tell over these 3 seasons. To tell fun Navy crime mysteries but also dig into ideas about family, life, love, identity… To all the fans, especially those who saw themselves in these characters, mahalo nui loa. A hui hou.”
If you’re hoping for a ‘SWAT’ style reversal for ‘NCIS: Hawai’i’, that seems unlikely. CBS’s parent company Paramount is currently prepping the business for a likely sale in the near future, so they are streamlining costs wherever they can. Also, as it’s attached to a larger CBS franchise, there is very little likelihood it could be picked up by anyone else. Unfortunately, it’s time to say “Aloha, a hui hou” to the drama…
‘NCIS: Hawai’i‘ airs on Disney+ in the UK.
