Why was ‘NCIS Hawai’i’ canceled?

On April 26, fans of the procedural crime series NCIS: Hawai’i received the bitter news that CBS canceled the show. Hawai’i’ was the fourth title in the iconic NCIS franchise.

NCIS follows a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a U.S. Navy unit responsible for investigating crimes in the Navy and Marine Corps and working for the security of America, including in terrorism cases and cybersecurity issues. Airing since 2003, NCIS is one of the biggest hits in the history of television, which of course, led CBS to invest in several spinoffs. NCIS: Los Angeles lasted fourteen seasons, airing from 2009 to 2022, reaching a natural end for the story of its special team. On its turn, NCIS: New Orleans aired for seven seasons between 2014 and 2020 – still a good run for a TV show.

Unfortunately, NCIS: Hawai’i joined the CBS cemetery after only three seasons.

NCIS Hawai’i failed to bring the same audience as its sibling series

CBS didn’t provide any official statement explaining why NCIS: Hawai’i got canned. However, we can make an informed guess based on the series ratings.

While the procedural drama still managed to grab the attention of millions of viewers, NCIS: Hawai’i‘s ratings were still below those of the main series and the previous spinoffs, according to the Nielsen scale. In fact, for the three seasons it aired, NCIS: Hawai’i numbers remained close to the last seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans. So, it’s not exactly a surprise that the spinoff won’t return for a fourth season.

While we can understand CBS’s decision to cancel the show and invest in more profitable spinoffs for the NCIS franchise, it is still a shame that NCIS: Hawai’i won’t return for Season 4. The show was the first entry in the franchise to be led by a woman, i.e., Vanessa Lachey’s Special Agent in Charge, Jane Tennant. The spinoff was also the first chapter in the NCIS franchise to feature an LGBTQ+ agent, Yasmine Al-Bustami’s Lucy Tara. So, as cast member Tori Anderson said, Hawai’i being axed “is a huge loss for representation.”

This cancelation doesn’t mean the franchise is at risk. The mother series, NCIS, got renewed for its 22nd season. Meanwhile, the first international spinoff of the show, NCIS: Sidney, will return for season 2. Finally, a prequel series called NCIS: Origins is in production for a 2024 premiere. Origins will follow the early days of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the NCIS team, revealing more about the iconic character played by Mark Harmon in the main series. There’s also a spinoff based on Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo and Cote de Pablo’s Ziva David in early development but concrete information about when or if it will come to CBS has not been revealed.

The series finale of NCIS: Hawai’i premieres on CBS on May 6.