Although CBS made the bold decision to end the popular procedural NCIS: New Orleans, the network wasted no time discussing plans for a new NCIS project. The new series would take place in The Aloha State of Hawaii, and stars from the Los Angeles spinoff are voicing their excitement about having an expansion to the NCIS family.
Daniela Ruah and Eric Christian Olsen, who play Kensi Blye and Marty Deeks on NCIS: Los Angeles, respectively, spoke to ET about the possibility of there being a new spinoff. Olsen mentioned that the thought of watching people catch bad guys in a paradise like Hawaii is exciting and a great opportunity for the franchise itself. Olsen explained:
I think it's an exciting opportunity because, listen, Hawaii is Hawaii. And if there's anything that we want to watch on TV, it's people in paradise running around catching bad guys. I think it's a great opportunity for an expansion of the franchise.
Daniela Ruah, meanwhile, agreed with her costar, knowing the recipe for the franchise has worked. With the NCIS series having a combined 37 seasons, the hope for NCIS: Hawaii is big. The NCIS universe goes all the way back to the TV series JAG in 2003, when the original show was introduced as a backdoor pilot. The three series have a combined 826 episodes that have currently aired, with Hawaii most likely adding to that record-breaking number. Ruah said:
And we obviously know that the recipe for this franchise has worked quite nicely. I mean, we have 18 seasons [for NCIS], 12 seasons [for NCIS: LA], seven for New Orleans and now a new one's coming. It's an attractive franchise. So hopefully they'll do great.
While NCIS is losing a major star in its current season, NCIS: Los Angeles is adding someone new to their roster as well as an NCIS vet. With NCIS: New Orleans ending, though, there's still the question of just how long the others will last. But, since CBS has NCIS: Hawaii in the works, with some stars like Daniela Ruah and Eric Christian Olsen already on board with the idea of the new show, the NCIS franchise is just going to get bigger, and possibly keep rolling along for many more years.
NCIS: Hawaii wouldn’t be the first Hawaii-based CBS procedural, as Hawaii Five-O lasted for 10 seasons and even had a crossover with the Los Angeles series. This makes it easy for characters of the new NCIS series to crossover with its predecessors. The project will come from NCIS: New Orleans executive producers and co-showrunners Jan Nash and Christopher Siber, with SEAL Team producer and writer Matt Bosack also on board. The potential series will introduce a new team, with no backdoor pilot from any of the current NCIS shows.
