As the 2025 TV schedule kicks into high gear, CBS is making massive changes to its lineup, specifically, its Friday night slate. The second season of NCIS: Sydney was just pushed back a week, which is frustrating for fans eagerly anticipating the return of the international twist on the beloved franchise. However, this is only part of a much larger shake-up in CBS’ primetime lineup in the wake of the network canceling another beloved show.
According to a press release from CBS, NCIS: Sydney’s second season, which was originally supposed to premiere on January 31, will now air on February 7 at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Fire Country and S.W.A.T. This comes after Fire Country didn't air a rerun because of the LA wildfires and the end of Blue Bloods, which shows how this schedule has been flexible amid the holiday hiatus. According to the release, the NCIS spinoff's premiere is being delayed because of a "soon-to-be-announced special."
This shift highlights the fact that a number of shows are switching slots to fill the gap left by Blue Bloods, which ended in December after 14 seasons. The show was a big loss for fans and the cast, who were hoping they could save the procedural on streaming. Ultimately, however, the network decided to pull the plug completely.
Longtime Friday night viewers became accustomed to the day's primetime schedule, with Blue Bloods being the anchor of the slate at 10 p.m. Now, NCIS: Sydney leads this day's lineup, and S.W.A.T. has switched to the 10 p.m. slot, making it the new anchor. Meanwhile, Fire Country has always been on at 9 p.m., and it will stay there.
Notably, S.W.A.T. was canceled and saved a couple of times. So, in another universe, there was a chance that Fridays on CBS could have been changed almost completely. However, thanks to fan support and social media, Shemar Moore's show is still thriving, and Friday nights can at least have some semblance of a pre-Blue Bloods cancellation.
Filling the hole Blue Bloods left with NCIS: Sydney feels like the right choice. While fans will greatly miss the Blue Bloods cast and storylines that have grown to be favorites, this NCIS spinoff has a lot to offer. Like its predecessor, it's a procedural that’s high in intensity with some humor sprinkled throughout. But this new iteration of the franchise expands on the popular format, interjecting an international intrigue with the Australian backdrop. It’s also a great pairing with Fire Country and S.W.A.T., which are also high-stakes, character-driven procedurals.
This change will likely still be a big adjustment for fans. Blue Bloods was beloved, and canceling the show after 14 years when the primary cast, including Tom Selleck, was still interested in continuing feels premature. However, it seems like CBS is still set on keeping its Friday lineup similar in tone as it enters a new era with a shaken-up slate, giving these procedurals a chance to shine and develop the ardent fan base that Blue Bloods had. Change is hard, but I’m still excited about this new lineup, and to see what Season 2 of NCIS: Sydney has to offer.
You can catch the new season of NCIS: Sydney at 8:00 p.m. ET on February 7, followed by the rest of CBS's Friday lineup. If you miss an episode or the previous season, you can catch up by streaming episodes with a Paramount+ subscription.
