It’s been a shaky takeoff forNCIS: Sydneyalready, but CBS might have just made the situation even bleaker for the franchise’s latest spinoff. Already,Sydneyfeels pretty far removed, with little chance that anything in theNCISseason 22 finalemight finally lead to the spinoff’s first crossover with the rest of the franchise.
But, while it would be fun to see theNCIS: Sydneycastcrossover with the flagship,the Australian spinoff has thus far been its own thing with only minimal references to the franchise at large. Thanks to one recent CBS business decision, that might wind up remaining the case heading intoNCIS: Sydneyseason 3.
NCIS: Sydney Joins NCIS On Tuesday Nights For A Stronger Primetime Block
It Was Never In The Series’ Best Interest To Air On Fridays
Running on Fridays was never the best move forNCIS: Sydney, placing it in what’s referred to as the “death slot” because not enough people are home watching TV to promise ratings.MovingNCIS: Sydneyto the same night as the rest of the franchise is ultimately the best move, andCBS’ fall 2025 scheduleconfirms that was the plan.
Time (ET)
Tuesdays, 8PM
Tuesdays, 9PM
NCIS: Sydney
Tuesdays, 10PM
This givesNCIS: Sydneya higher chance of success. Although it’s far from being labeled one of thebest cop shows on TV,the AustralianNCISspinoff has a unique enough cast and overall hook to justify a better timeslot than Friday night. Airing alongside more successful franchise spinoffs, it has a better chance of reaching the audience it needs.
Of course,NCIS: Sydneystill needs to carve its own path to success. Despite boasting a unique cast and location,Sydney’s 10-episode seasons with overreliance on unresolved plotlines have held it back from reaching the success of its more engaging sister shows. But this seemingly ideal scheduling change presents an even greater problem for the spinoff than its other issues.
NCIS: Sydney’s New Timeslot Directly Pits It Against High Potential
There Are Few Shows Worse To Compete Against Right Now
MovingNCIS: Sydneyto the same night as the rest of the franchise was a wise move in a vacuum, butABC’s fall 2025 schedulecreates the problem thatNCIS’ least popular franchise will now share a timeslot with ABC’s breakaway hitHigh Potential. Although Kaitlin Olson’s comedic procedural bears little similarity toNCIS, its uniqueness is precisely the issue.
June 03, 2025
Even after theNCIS: Sydneyseason 2 finaleopened the door for a compelling of a story involving Blue next season,High Potentialpremieres earlier than any other scripted series on Tuesday’s network TV schedule. This means that its ongoing stories will have been more thoroughly developed by the timeNCIS: Sydneyeven begins season 3.
BetweenHigh Potentialalready earning more popularity and also getting a jumpstart on beginning its overarching storyline, it’s hard to imagine thatNCIS: Sydneywill be much of a competitor in the ratings. This unexpected competition might not spell the end of the series, but it certainly isn’t great news for its future success.
Cast
NCIS: Sydney is an Australian crime-police procedural series and is another spin-off in the long-running NCIS franchise. The series is set in Sydney, Australia, and follows Special Agent-in-Charge Michelle Mackey as she and her fellow partners deal with various high-profile cases and crimes.
