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NCIS Season 21 is on hold due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. But the mega-popular franchise still has a place on CBS’s fall 2023 schedule. The first season of the new spinoff, NCIS: Sydney, will premiere this November, the network has confirmed. 

‘NCIS: Sydney’ will air on CBS, stream on Paramount+ 

Olivia Swann and Todd Lasance of 'NCIS: Sydney' standing in front of a bridge
Olivia Swann as NCIS Special Agent Captain Michelle Mackey and Todd Lasance as AFP Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey on the set of ‘NCIS: Sydney’ | Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+ © TM & © 2023 CBS Studios Inc. NCIS: Sydney and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The first international offshoot of NCIS was announced in February 2022. NCIS: Sydney was originally ordered for Paramount+ Australia. At the time, it wasn’t clear when, if ever, it would be available to watch in the U.S. 

Now, with both actors and writers on strike and networks scrambling to fill their fall schedules, the Down Under version of NCIS is arriving stateside. NCIS: Sydney will premiere Monday, Nov. 13 at 10 p.m. ET.  That’s just three days after the series premieres on Paramount+ in Australia. Episodes will also stream on Paramount+ live and on-demand in the U.S. 

“NCIS is one of the most popular series in the world and we’re thrilled to expand this franchise with a uniquely Australian twist,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “With the addition of NCIS: Sydney, our studio and network footprint continues to grow in this fascinating world that has been a proven winner with viewers on both linear and streaming platforms. Featuring the stunning backdrop of Australia, the new series will incorporate the high-stakes intrigue, humor, and camaraderie that have kept fans captivated by the NCIS teams for over two decades.”

What is ‘NCIS: Sydney’ about? 

'NCIS: Sydney' cast standing in a group
‘NCIS: Sydney’ | Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+ © TM & © 2023 CBS Studios Inc. NCIS: Sydney and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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So, what can viewers expect from NCIS: Sydney? Set amid rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, the show follows a team of U.S. NCIS agents and officers from the Australian Federal Police (AFC) who are part of a multinational task force. They’re charged with keeping naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet. 

Olivia Swann stars as NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey. Todd Lasance plays Mackey’s 2IC AFC counterpart Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey. Other NCIS: Sydney cast members include Sean Sagar as NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson; Tuuli Narkle as AFP liaison officer Constable Evie Cooper; Mavournee Hazel as AFP forensic scientist Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson, and William McInnes as AFP forensic pathologist Dr Roy Penrose.

When will ‘NCIS’ Season 21 air? 

NCIS: Sydney should help fill the gap for fans who are eagerly awaiting the return of NCIS (and the resolution of that Torres-related cliffhanger). The long-running show was renewed for season 21 in February 2023 and was expected to premiere this fall. But due to the strikes, fans won’t see new NCIS episodes until 2024 at the earliest. We’ll have a better idea of a season 21 premiere date once the strikes are resolved and actors and writers can get back to work.  

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