NCIS: Sydney

NCIS: Sydney is an Australian and American military police procedural series and is one of multiple spin-offs of NCIS. It was created as the first spin-off outside the United States, and follows a fictional task force of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers working together on investigations involving American military personnel. The series features Australian actors and producers and stars Olivia Swann, Todd Lasance, Sean Sagar, Tuuli Narkle, Mavournee Hazel and William McInnes.

NCIS: Sydney premiered on 10 November 2023 on Paramount+ in Australia. A second season premiered on 7 February 2025. In February 2025, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on Paramount+ on 14 October 2025.

It has aired on CBS in the United States since November 2023, at first as replacement programming during the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.

CBS renewed the show for a fourth season in January 2026.

Cast

Main

Recurring
 Claude Jabbour as Travis 'Trigger' Riggs
 Georgina Haig as Ana Niemus

Guests

Episodes

Season 1 (2023)

Season 2 (2025)

Season 3 (2025)

Production
On 16 February 2022, it was reported that a spin-off set in Sydney, Australia, was in the works. NCIS: Los Angeles producer Shane Brennan was attached to the project at first. The series is produced by Endemol Shine Australia for CBS Studios and Paramount Australia. Paramount Plus Australia brought on Endemol Shine Australia after hearing of CBS Studio's interest in expanding the series internationally, and Endemol asked Morgan O'Neill to develop a concept for the series. O'Neill said he received early positive feedback from CBS Studios about taking an ambitious approach to writing the series. It is executive produced by O'Neill, Sara Richardson and Sue Seeary and produced by Michele Bennett. The companies listed in the opening credits are CBS Studios and Paramount+, and Endemol Shine Australia at the end of the closing credits. It began filming in May 2023.

On 20 March 2024, NCIS: Sydney was renewed for a second season, which premiered on 7 February 2025. Two special episodes filmed in Darwin and surrounding areas for season 2.

The series also received Australian government support through its filming support program Screen Australia and Screen Territory, a program of Australia's Northern Territory.

The series was renewed for a third season of 20 episodes on 21 February 2025.

The series was submitted for consideration for the Primetime Emmy Awards in the United States in the category for outstanding drama in 2024 and 2025. Foreign-produced shows can be considered for the Emmy Awards if they are the result of a financial and creative coproduction between U.S. and foreign partners and are intended for broadcast in the U.S..https://www.televisionacademy.com/files/assets/Downloads/2024-rules-procedures-v4.pdf

Broadcast
Australian broadcast
After premiering on Paramount Plus Australia on 10 November 2023, a preview of the first episode was shown on Australian TV channel Network Ten on 27 November 2023. The full first season was shown on Network Ten beginning in spring 2024. The second season began showing on Network Ten in January 2026.https://10.com.au/ncis-sydney/episodes/season-2

International broadcast
The series is distributed outside Australia by Paramount Global Content Distribution and is available for streaming on Paramount+ in New Zealand,‘NZ Listener 4 November 2023 page 53 (Vol 288 No 4322) the United States, the  UK, South Korea, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Japan.

In the United States, it became the first Australian series to air in the U.S. primetime evening hours when it began broadcasting on the original show's network CBS on 14 November 2023, advertised as a "CBS Original series." It was broadcast in the Tuesday timeslot of the original series as replacement programming during the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, after it was initially only intended for airing on Paramount+ in Australia, with other international broadcasts under consideration. It was renewed for a second season on CBS in March 2024. CBS executive Amy Reisenbach said at the time of its viewership success that "the fact that it launched with very little original programming surrounding it and did so well, it has earned a spot back on the schedule at some point for sure." It was announced in May 2024 that the show would return to the CBS primetime schedule in a Friday timeslot as part of a midseason schedule change resulting from the end of Blue Bloods, where it premiered on 7 February 2025. The third season premiered on CBS in a Tuesday timeslot on 14 October 2025, following its renewal in February 2025. All seasons have also been made available on Paramount+ in the United States in connection with its broadcast on CBS.

In Canada, the series premiered on Global and was airing at the same time as the CBS broadcast, also premiering on 14 November 2023.

Reception
Ratings
As replacement programming on CBS in the U.S. during the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, the series had the highest premiere viewership for a broadcast show premiering in fall 2023 and was the top most watched new series on broadcast television as of January 2024.  In Australia it was the most watched local program since the launch of Paramount Plus in the country.
U.S. ratings
These are the U.S. ratings for episodes airing on CBS.

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

References

Other Websites
Production website

Category:NCIS (franchise) television series
Category:2023 Australian television series debuts
Category:Australian television spinoffs
Category:Australian television series based on American television series
Category:Paramount+ original programming
Category:Network 10 original programming
Category:CBS crime dramas
Category:2020s Australian crime television series
Category:2020s Australian drama television series
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:Australian English-language television shows
Category:Television series by Endemol Shine Australia
Category:Television shows filmed in Australia
Category:Television shows set in Sydney
Category:Australian Federal Police
Category:Television series by CBS Studios