Why CBS Canceled NCIS: Hawaii

The “NCIS” franchise has said goodbye to some beloved shows in recent years. in 2023 “NCIS: Los Angeles” ended after 14 seasons and 322 episodeswhich is perfect for any TV show. Unfortunately, “NCIS: Hawaii” didn't have that long of a life as it was sent to the chopping block in 2024 after three seasons. Also, it never had a chance to deliver the finale of the greatest series of all time Since no one expected it to be canceled, it bowed out with a frustrated cliffhanger. So why did CBS decide to cancel the series?

As documented DiversityCBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach revealed that “NCIS: Hawaii” was canceled for various reasons, such as Hollywood SAG-AFTRA Strike and a desire to freshen things up among them. Here's what she had to say:

“Everything came back (from the Hollywood strikes) really strong, but at the end of the day we have to look at the coherence of the schedule flow. We have to evaluate the finances and the performance as a whole, and we're making tough decisions.”

“NCIS: Hawaii” Season 3 has garnered some strong ratings, with the show averaging more than 5 million viewers on most weeks. Unfortunately, solid ratings weren't enough to save it, and other popular shows were sent along with the popular procedural.

As previously mentioned, “NCIS: Hawaii” was canceled because CBS executives wanted to add new shows to the network's schedule. Fortunately for fans of the procedural franchise, some of these shows are part of the “NCIS” universe, including “NCIS: Sydney,” “NCIS: Origins” and the upcoming “NCIS: Tony & Ziva” series.

By comparison, CBS also made a shocking decision cancel Tom Selleck's “Blue Bloods” around the same time, fans learned that “NCIS: Hawaii” would not be renewed. The cop show has been one of the network's biggest hits for more than a decade, and the cast and crew wanted to keep creating new episodes. However, CBS felt that change was necessary and called for it to be prevented. Likewise, “CSI: Vegas” was canceled after three seasons in 2024, despite drawing strong ratings and being part of one of the network's tentpole franchises.

However, unlike “Blue Bloods,” “NCIS: Hawaii” never got a chance to end on its own terms. It's a shame, too, because the season 3 finale raised some interesting questions ahead of the ever-planned fourth installment.

The final episode of “NCIS: Hawaii” ends with Special Agent Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) arriving home to find her daughter waiting. Instead, she sees her mentor Maggie Shaw (Julie White) waiting in the living room. The show tells Tennant to grab a drink after a distraught mother inquires about her daughter's whereabouts and the screen fades to black. It's a powerful way to end a season and build anticipation for what's to come, but showrunners Jan Nash, Christopher Silber and Matt Bosack said. TVLine that they would do it differently now.

“If we had known it was coming, we probably wouldn't have ended the series. The fact that the studio and the network didn't stop us makes it seem like they didn't see it coming either. I loved our show and I know other people loved it too , but the TV business is a fickle mistress, and business decisions can't be taken personally, but it's still poignant.

The creators teased that Tennant's daughter's disappearance was tied to the agent's history as a spy, and would involve her mother. Unfortunately, fans may never see this story unfold on screen, as the decision to cancel “NCIS: Hawaii” appears to be final.