Hi Alex,
This letter is kind of weird. In one way, it's me coming full circle and yet its also things moving forward. Back in February 2023, I made a case about how NCIS was showing that CBS was in trouble.
I could recap the whole thing, or I could just put in the link. Yeah, I'm going for the link. It's less work. So here it is...
NCIS Showing That CBS is in Trouble
Okay, I'll put in a bit of recap. I took a good, hard look at the NCIS-verse* and how CBS was trimming the fat off it. (*The NCIS-verse consists of JAG, the NCIS franchise, Scorpion and the Lenkov-verse shows.) In the months since, stuff has happened so, let's move on to...
The Current Mess
NCIS: Los Angeles is gone and so is Magnum PI. In fact, Magnum PI was sort of gone for quite a while. The show was recorded during the first half of 2023. But the WGA and SAG-AFRA strikes happened, so the network sat on the finished episodes for months. This was all them trying to keep the 'new' content going for a while. Which brings us to the next issue, namely...
NCIS: Sydney...a show with only eight episodes. I've heard people complain about NCIS: Sydney's characters. But IMHO the real problem with Sydney is not the characters, it's that the whole thing feels like less like a season and more like a production block that was quickly shoved out the door to plug the hole (in the programming) left by the strikes.
The folks at CBS didn't even bother to give the show it's own theme song. Instead, they simply remixed the original show's theme. Combined with the lack of cameos, the production design and the low number of the episodes, it makes NCIS: Sydney feel cheap. Which is a shame, because the characters have potential.
It's not actors fault that CBS is broke and the people running it are such misers. Also don't blame the Sydney folks for the cancellation of LA. CBS contracts run 7 years. In order to given LA a season 15, CBS would have had to renegotiate. Had they done so, they would NOT have green-lit just season 15, LA would have been locked in until season 21. Which is my transition to the other shows...
NCIS
...Starting with the mother show. Season 21 was sort of a given. Because there is no need to renegotiate. The current seven-year block doesn't end until Season 21's final episode. It's Season 22 where things get sticky. Can CBS afford to keep the show going until Season 28 ?
Especially if the rumors about Paramount's upcoming merger/sale with/to Universal are true. And then there is the option of Paramount/CBS wanting to buy Alex Kurtzman out. The money for that would have to come from some place. And even if the rumors are all a bunch of hogwash, making seven seasons of television is not cheap. Unless you frak them over like they did with Sydney.
Finally, there is the tragic loss of David McCallum. No matter what changed, Ducky gave the show that magical sparkle. (I would have loved to see Ducky interact with Rosie on Sydney - two ME's swapping notes - something that will now never come to pass.) With loss of McCallum, NCIS is facing hard(er) times. Now, time to talk about...
NCIS: Hawaii
Season 1 and 2 are in the bag, with Season 3 on the way. The thing is...the best case scenario for Hawaii is a repeat of what happened to New Orleans. Meaning the show gets seven seasons and then CBS pulls the plug. The worst case scenario is season 3 and then...poof !
As for LL Cool J coming over for Season 3, IMHO that's a good thing. I'm hoping that Sam Hanna joining the fun will bring over LA fans who have not been watching Hawaii. And LA season 14 left some plots unresolved. Maybe Sam's presence will allow for these threads to be brought over and tied up.
Oh, and Steve McGarrett still owns Sam a steak dinner. And maybe that will open the door to other cameos...
That's all I have.
Regards,
Ruben A. Hilbers (aka Commander Nash)
