(Photo: Karen Neal/CBS)
CBS‘ time in paradise has come to an end. The network has cancelled NCIS: Hawai’i, so viewers won’t see a fourth season.
A police procedural drama series, the NCIS: Hawai’i TV series stars Vanessa Lachey, Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Jason Antoon, Tori Anderson, and Kian Talan. LL Cool J is a special guest star. In the story, Jane Tennant (Lachey) is the first female Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor. She has thrived and risen through the ranks by equal parts confidence and strategy in a system that has pushed back on her every step of the way. Her unwavering team of specialists includes junior field agent Lucy Tara (Al-Bustami); cyber intelligence specialist Ernie Malik (Antoon); second-in-command Jesse Boone (Mills); Defense Intelligence Agency Special Agent Kate Whistler (Anderson); and Kai Holman (Tarrant), a newer NCIS agent. They sometimes work with NCIS Senior Field Agent (Cool J) from Los Angeles. Tennant and her team balance duty to family and country while investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security, and the mysteries of the island paradise itself.
Airing on Monday nights, the abbreviated third season of NCIS: Hawai’i averages a 0.35 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 5.24 million viewers. Compared to season two, that’s up by 1% in the demo and up by 4% in viewership in the live+same day ratings (includes DVR playback through 3:00 AM). It’s the network’s only scripted series to see growth year-to-year.
While the series outperformed other dramas that have been renewed, it was also likely more expensive to produce.
It’s also worth noting that CBS will have a very full schedule next season. The network renewed most of its current shows (including SWAT, which was supposed to end next month) and has committed to several new programs. Some of these were ordered for 2023-24 but were delayed due to last year’s industry strikes. New shows premiering for 2024-25 include Matlock, NCIS: Origins, Poppa’s House, Watson, and the Young Sheldon spin-off.
The 2024-25 season will be the first time CBS won’t have a Hawaii-based drama on the schedule in 14 years. The reboot of Hawaii Five-0 debuted in 2010 and ran until 2020. The reboot of Magnum PI began in 2018 and ran on CBS until 2022. NCIS: Hawai’i debuted in 2021.
The de facto series finale of NCIS: Hawai’i will air on May 6th. While the episode won’t give the series any closure, word is that viewers won’t be left with a big unresolved cliffhanger either.
What do you think? Have you been watching this Monday night series on CBS? Are you disappointed NCIS: Hawai’i was cancelled instead of renewed for a fourth season?