NCIS: Sydney is a streaming hit despite its mixed reviews, as the latest spinoff gets off to a strong start in the U.S. and internationally.
NCIS: Sydney is a streaming hit despite its mixed reviews. Though it was originally unclear whether the show would be a streaming-only series in the U.S., the decision was made to air NCIS: Sydney on CBS due to the strikes, which forced broadcast networks to change their schedules. One of those changes was to release NCIS: Sydney both on TV and streaming, with the show premiering on CBS on November 14.
TheWrap reports that NCIS: Sydney has garnered strong numbers so far. The debut episode has become the most-streamed CBS premiere on Paramount+. Additionally, just three days after debuting, the international NCIS spinoff has reached nearly 10 million viewers across both CBS and Paramount+. Viewership for the premiere rose to 7.25 million. The spinoff is also a success internationally, in Australia and English-speaking Canada, despite mixed reviews.
What’s NCIS: Sydney About? (& Why Reviews Are Mixed)
NCIS: Sydney focuses on rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, centering on “the brilliant and eclectic” team of U.S. NCIS Agents and the Australian Federal Police. It shows how they ended up as part of a multi-national task force to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet.
The spinoff has so far been met with a mixed reception. On the positive side, reviews have mentioned that the new CBS series manages to adhere to the franchise’s formula while nonetheless carving out its own space. The procedural, which has Morgan O’Neill as the showrunner, has also received praise for its pacing and the chemistry between the NCIS: Sydney cast. However, the military action drama has received criticism as well.
More negative assessments have called the story bland and uninteresting, overly reliant on clichés, and clumsy. Even the most positive reviews have stressed that the spinoff doesn’t necessarily break the mold in any notable way. However, it could be that it’s just charming and popular enough to lead to NCIS: Sydney season 2.