NCIS is showing that CBS is in trouble

My Case

Okay, to begin with, I am no insider. But I have eyes and I have a brain. So these are observations that I have made. Some over the years, some recently. Anyway, here we go...

Back when Hawaii Five-0 was still on the air, I figure these were the best paid actors in the Lenkov/NCIS-verse...

1. Alex O'Loughlin
2. Scott Caan
3. Scott Bakula
4. LL Cool J
5. Chris O'
   Donnell
6. Daniella Ruah
   
7. Mark Harmon

The Fat Trimming Starts...

...with the cancellation of Hawaii Five-0. Strike O'Loughlin and Caan off the list. This also freed up Katrina Law. Let's put a pin in that. And it freed half of the Hawaiian facilities, opening the door for NCIS: New Orleans to be cancelled and replaced by the cheaper NCIS: Hawaii. Why is it cheaper ? Because A) It allows them to shut down a studio and B) It strikes Scott Bakula off the list. 

Now, as I understand it, actors working for a CBS show get a 7-year contract and each year they get paid more. And when the contract ends, union rules demand that the company renegotiates. This is also why NCIS: Los Angeles is not getting a Season 15. CBS doesn't want to renegotiate. 

Instead, they are taking the opportunity to strike to LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell off to the list. In fact, they are replacing the whole show with the cheaper to make NCIS: Sydney. But how can NCIS: Sydney be cheaper, if it's setting is halfway around the world ? 

Well, to begin with, CBS' Australian branch/partners are footing half the bill. And all the actors in it are paid Tier 1, versus the LL Cool J and O'Connell who are both Tier 14. And so is Daniella Ruah. Almost forgot she had been around since season 1 as well. So that makes three Tier 14 actor gone. 

And NCIS: LA has already been subject of trimming as well. The convenient replacing of Linda Hunt - who was getting up there in Tiers as well - by Gerald McRaney. And the departures of Barrett Foa and Renee Felice Smith. Which was pretty convenient for the show's budget department. But I'm digressing, let's move on to....

The Lenkov-Verse Shows

Which at this point are down to two: MacGyver and Magnum PI. MacGyver ended up getting cancelled altogether. As for Magnum PI....first it became a joined production with Universal and then CBS tried to cancel it as well. Fortunately, NBC rode in to safe the day. But I think it's safe bet that CBS is somehow getting some residuals out of this situation. That, while no longer having to pay for production of the show. Next, lets take about....

The Last Man/Show Standing

Because the original NCIS is not above this situation as well. For example, let's get back to our pin. Emily Wickersham was on Tier 8 and was replaced by Katrina Law. Even if her contract from Five-0 was not cancelled, Law is only Tier 2. 

And she was not the only cut to be made. Other examples:

1. David McCallum's screen-time has been greatly reduced, 
2. After Jimmy Palmer's promotion no replacement assistant ME was hired. Sure, there was an episode where Jimmy interviewed candidates, but nobody was hired in the end. (This was CBS throwing the fans a bone to make them shut up about this issue.)
3. Maria Bello's Jack Sloane left. Another convenient departure for the budget people...
4. ....Where we can also file Pauley Perette's replacement by Diona Reasonover. 
   
5. Agent Quinn lasted only one season (and was not replaced by a new character).
   

But we all know what the big cut was...replacing Mark Harmon - who was on Tier 19 - by Gary Cole. Even if Cole asked for a lot of money per episode, there's a fair chance that he is cheaper the Harmon. 

And it's very possible that there is another big cut waiting in wings. In episode 5 ("Guardian") of Season 20 (the current one), Timothy McGee temporarily takes over from Vance. And at the end of the episode, McGee says that he is liking it. 

This sounds to me like they are laying the groundwork for McGee to succeed Vance as director. Doing so would allow them to remove Rocky Carroll's paycheck from the budget altogether, while dialing back Sean Murray's screen time considerably.

The Big Question

Why is CBS doing all this trimming ? In my opinion, the answer is simple: Money. They already rebranded their streaming service once and now it's merging with Showtime. But I think that all of the above shows that they have been in trouble for a long time.

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (aka Commander Nash)