The future of NCIS: Hawai'i remains uncertain as fans continue to wait on CBS for a renewal announcement. While both NCIS and its Australia-set spin-off NCIS: Sydney have both been renewed for further seasons, the network has yet to reveal whether the Vanessa Lachey-led drama will return to our screens after season three.
While there's no doubt that the series is popular among fans, CBS already has three new spin-off shows scheduled for next season: the flagship show, which will return with its 22nd season, the Sydney spin-off, renewed for season two, and the upcoming prequel, NCIS: Origins. The franchise is also set to expand with the Tony & Ziva NCIS spin-off for Paramount +.
According to Deadline, NCIS: Hawai'i is likely to face budget cuts in order to stay on-air, which could mean a shortened series 4 of around 13 episodes, rather than the usual 21 or 22.
Although the show's future beyond series three is up in the air, there are some good arguments for keeping it on screens. Not only is it the only female-led NCIS spin-off, with leading lady Vanessa starring as Special Agent Jane Tennant, but it also rakes in millions of viewers and is the 12th most-watched non-sports show on linear TV.
The cast is clearly keen to return for more episodes, with Jason Antoon, who plays Ernie Malik, sharing his hopes of directing an episode in season four.
"I'm going to hopefully direct an episode of next season," the actor told HELLO! earlier this year. "There's talks of that. I shadowed a few directors last season to be able to see the behind-the-scenes stuff. You've got to put in the work and show the production team that you're serious about it."
NCIS' renewal for season 22 was announced earlier this month. In a statement, CBS Entertainment chief Amy Reisenbach said: "The Neighborhood" — which was also renewed on Tuesday — "and NCIS are the very best definition of a CBS comedy and drama. They embody authentic storytelling with heart, humor, and family dynamics. We are proud to bring them back next season."
It came just weeks after NCIS: Sydney was confirmed for a second outing.
Taking to Instagram at the time, lead actor Todd Lasance, who plays Sergeant Jim 'JD' Dempsey, shared his excitement: "Still feels like a dream… Thank you to every single one of you who tuned in and supported us!! Cannot wait to step back on set with our squad! #ncissydney."
In a previous interview, the actor revealed that he's hoping to explore "the family dynamic side of things" with his character in the upcoming season. "This is a dream series for me because I get to play with the comedy, with that cheeky 'ribbing each other' element, and also be the straight cop/leader, and then I get to go with the emotional element of the relationship with the son and my ex-wife and the breakdown of that relationship," he told TV Line.