A producer offers an encouraging response about the “open-ended” potential future of NCIS as it continues its 20-year run after the strikes.
There could still be a future for NCIS when the strikes come to an end. NCIS began in 2002 as a military procedural spin-off of JAG. It has quickly come to dominate the TV landscape. The show is so popular that it has spawned multiple spin-offs, including NCIS: Los Angeles, New Orleans, Hawai’i, and Sydney. Season 20 — the most recent season — came to an end this past May. While the show has been renewed for another season, delays relating to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes have made the future uncertain.
There is still hope that NCIS season 21 will be able to continue without any major issues after the strikes end. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson explained its encouraging status. The network has not instructed anyone to plan to end the show, so the producers believe that it will continue as planned. Check out his quote below:
We have not been told by the network, “Wrap it up at the end of the 21st year.” So I think it’s open-ended. We are proceeding as if we’re going to continue.
The Future Of NCIS
The ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes have put all of Hollywood on hold. Until writers and actors receive adequate protections, better residuals, and improved working conditions, the strikes will continue. For the time being, there is no way for CBS to write, shoot, or use actors or writers to promote its domestic procedurals. That has left production of season 21 delayed until the strikes come to an end.
There is one NCIS show that is preparing for its release, however. The upcoming NCIS: Sydney is a spinoff set to premiere on November 10 in Australia and on November 13 in the United States. The show revolves around the concept of the Australian Federal Police teaming up with the US Navy Criminal Investigative Services. It is expected to utilize the same procedural format as the other shows in the franchise, and its premiere will be a much-needed addition to the Fall TV slate.
After Sydney, however, there will likely be a serious delay before NCIS season 21 can finally air. There will still be a need for both writing and filming to continue for the season. Similar reasons will force the other spin-offs to also wait to premiere. It could very well delay the shows until Fall 2024, though that remains to be seen. Thankfully, Johnson seems confident that the future of NCIS remains safe, leaving no need to worry about future seasons.
