**CBS Bets on Prequels: Is This the Real Reason NCIS: Hawai’i Was Canceled?**
Last month was tough for CBS, facing backlash after canceling several successful shows, including the NCIS spinoff, NCIS: Hawai’i. Fans were shocked and confused, as even the cast hadn’t seen it coming. Despite decent ratings, the show was cut, leaving many to wonder why.
TV Insider writer Matt Roush suggests the surprising success of CBS’s Young Sheldon might be the culprit. This prequel to The Big Bang Theory, exploring Sheldon Cooper’s early years, launched in 2017 and quickly became a hit, proving audiences love origin stories.
Roush believes this trend directly influenced CBS’s decision to greenlight NCIS: Origins, a new prequel focusing on Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ early years in the 1990s. Mark Harmon, who played Gibbs in the original series, will narrate the show, mirroring Jim Parsons’ role in Young Sheldon.
With CBS’s fall schedule packed with renewed shows, the network likely chose the promising prequel over continuing NCIS: Hawai’i. This shift suggests a strategic move to replicate Young Sheldon’s success with another beloved character’s backstory.
