NCIS: Sydney gets unexpected update on release schedule

NCIS: Sydney may be the fourth installment in the NCIS franchise, but it is unique in many ways. It’s the first NCIS show to be set outside of the United States of America, and the only one to air during the current Hollywood strike. While the other installments have been pushed back to next year, Sydney will hold down the forte and keep CBS viewers engaged in naval crime.

At least, for a little while. The release schedule for NCIS: Sydney has changed radically since the show was first announced. According to TV Line, the show was set for an Australian release, with international availability coming later via streaming. The aforementioned strike, however, led to CBS altering this schedule to allow American viewers to watch it as well.

NCIS: Sydney release date USA

It’s a convenient fix on the part of the network, but according to TV Insider critic Matt Roush, the international release schedule may not last into 2024. When asked whether NCIS: Sydney would continue to be available for American viewers after the other NCIS shows return, Roush made it clear that CBS is keeping the door open for possible changes.

“Given the uncertain state of the traditional TV season, with some new and possibly returning shows likely to be pushed back to next fall, I’m fairly confident the U.S. audience will get to see the full first season of NCIS: Sydney, which begins Nov. 14″, the critic opined. When it came time to break down the schedule for a possible second season, however, things got more complicated.

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“If Sydney does well — and given the shortage of original network programming these days, it probably will — maybe it will stick around”, Roush added. “But even if it eventually goes behind a streaming paywall or otherwise drops off the schedule, I expect anyone curious enough will take advantage of this opportunity to check it out.”

This makes sense given the network’s need to make room for their usual lineup come 2024. NCIS: Sydney is helping to fill the gap left by empty time slots, but once NCIS and NCIS: Hawai’i return, it will be an entirely different story. We just hope that Sydney proves to be another solid entry into the franchise, so that we could get eventual crossover.

NCIS: Sydney will premiere November 14 on CBS.

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