Fans were left stunned when CBS announced the cancellation of NCIS: Hawai’i after just three seasons. During a press briefing in Los Angeles, CBS executives explained that the decision was driven by the need for cohesion across the network schedule and a careful balance of costs and ratings.
“It’s essential for us to keep the schedule fresh and maintain momentum,” CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach told reporters. “We had to make some really tough choices this year. While everything came back strong after the Hollywood strikes, we ultimately had to evaluate the financials and overall performance.”
When questioned about the possibility of reversing the cancellation—as CBS did with S.W.A.T.—Reisenbach confirmed that it was not an option this time.
Season 3 of NCIS: Hawai’i premiered to impressive numbers, averaging 5.6 million viewers on February 12. Although it hasn’t consistently hit that mark since, it has maintained viewership above 5 million, with Episodes 6 and 7 drawing solid numbers of 4.8 million and 4.98 million, respectively. CBS president and CEO George Cheeks reiterated financial constraints, noting that other popular series like SEAL Team and Evil had transitioned to Paramount+ due to not fitting into the network’s primetime lineup.
“Budgets are challenged, so we don’t have an unlimited number of slots on Paramount+,” Cheeks stated. “While we’re open to possibilities, it’s never a guarantee.”
NCIS: Hawai’i followed Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey), the first female special agent in charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor, as she and her team balanced their duties to family and country while tackling high-stakes crimes involving military personnel and national security. The cast also included Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Jason Antoon, Tori Anderson, and Kian Talan, with executive producers Matt Bosack, Jan Nash, Christopher Silber, and Larry Teng overseeing the series produced by CBS Studios.
