The NCIS franchise continues. As reported by Deadline, the long-running series of shows is going international with NCIS: Sydney. The Australian production is underway down under and is set to debut on Network 10 in Australia and on Paramount+.
The new series will take NCIS back to its roots with a focus on naval crimes. It will unite a group of United States NCIS agents with the Australian Federal Police to create a collaborative task force. Together, the agents will solve crimes off the coast of Sydney in some of the world’s most contentious waters.
Olivia Swann of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is set to star as NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey. She will be joined by Todd Lasance as Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey.
Supporting the leading duo are The Covenant’s Sean Sagar as NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson, Bad Behaviour actor Tuuli Narkle as AFP Officer Constable Evie Cooper, Mavournee Hazel as AFP Forensic Scientist Bluebird ‘Blue’ Gleeson, and William McInnes as AFP Forensic Pathologist Dr. Roy Penrose.
The NCIS franchise began in 2003, with the flagship series airing on CBS. At 20 seasons and counting, the Washington, DC-based show has yielded spin-offs in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Hawaii. NCIS itself was a spin-off of the long-running television series JAG.
Each series follows NCIS agents who serve in the law enforcement sector of the United States Department of the Navy. The nature of the crimes the team investigates changes, but all are connected to the United States Navy, Marine Corps, or the families of service members.
NCIS: Sydney is rumored to feature guest stars from the franchise’s original series as it goes, but a cast of fresh faces will drive the show. The other NCIS spin-offs have had successful runs. NCIS: Los Angeles concluded earlier this year with the finale of its 14th season; NCIS: New Orleans had a seven-season run, and NCIS: Hawai’i is gearing up for its third season, set to resume production after the resolution of the WGA writers’ strike.
The international co-production of NCIS: Sydney is a historic one. The international angle is a first for the traditionally domestic franchise, expanding not only the NCIS story but the possibilities and capabilities of the production.
As the era of network TV slowly gives way to streaming, procedural crime dramas like NCIS are still finding ways to stay alive. Series like Law & Order and NCIS continue to charge forward in their record-setting runs, supported by loyal fanbases and tried and true storytelling.
Crime procedurals are not for everyone, but they have been around as long as television for a reason. The format connects with people, it is safe, and it works. NCIS: Sydney will translate that format into a new location, a modified premise, and send it to stream on Paramount+.
As the ways people watch shows continue to change at a rapid pace, the old ways of making TV are changing, too. In the case of NCIS, the franchise is holding onto its roots while also finding ways to evolve with the times. NCIS: Sydney offers TV fans a little old to go with the new.