Though it's been around for nearly two decades at this point, CBS' NCIS franchise is still going strong and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. There are plenty of things that fans love about the procedurals, but a good crossover -- like the one between Hawai’i and the flagship show -- is usually near the top of that list. With that, one has to wonder if there will ever be a three-way crossover that involves the long-running LA spinoff. Well, the producers have opened up about that possibility and why making it happen has been so tricky in the past.
While such crossovers have been done before (we see you, One Chicago franchise), they are somewhat hard to organize, as they require collaboration across various writers, actors and producers. On a positive note, NCIS: LA executive producer R. Scott Gemmill told TV Insider that there is interest in doing a crossover with all three shows. Though actually pulling it off is a different story:
We’ve talked about [a crossover] a lot, and actually, the studio [recently] asked me about it. It’s only a matter of logistics. If we were going to do it, we’d want to do it over all three series. Doing one crossover with one show sort of feels like you’re leaving somebody out… I’ve already talked to the other showrunners, everyone’s sort of up for it. It’s just the practicality of pulling it off is a little tricky.
It's hard not think of a three-way mash-up, especially considering how good the most recent one was. In CBS' NCIS and Hawai’i crossover that aired earlier this year, Wilmer Valderrama’s Nick Torres and Katrina Law’s Jessica Knight made a trip out to the Aloha State to work with Vanessa Lachey’s Jane Tennant and her team. Fans seemed satisfied, but they quickly started talking about another crossover after LA and NCIS stars united for a fun post.
Even though these small-screen events can be fun, there's a major behind-the-scenes downside to them as well. This is the fact that the shows lose characters within certain installments of the mash-up. NCIS executive producer Steven D. Binder spoke to that in the same interview:
You lose actors not just for a crossover. We lose them for the shows that we’re doing on either side of the crossover.
Despite the challenges, Binder does seem hopeful that a three-show crossover is possible at some point, though probably not during CBS' fall 2022 schedule. One must also consider that since NCIS: Hawai’i films on the gorgeous island, it's probably a bit harder to get that show involved in a bigger crossover from a logistical standpoint.
Coincidentally, the NCIS franchise is not the only one that has been discussing the possibility of a three-show crossover for the upcoming season. Just last week, it was reported that NBC was planning to pull off a major first by crafting one for the three Law & Order shows as a way to kick off their respective seasons.
The odds don't seem great right now, but I'm hopeful that there will be a crossover between the three NCIS series. Of course, I wouldn't turn down another two-show event either. But in the meantime, know that Season 20 of the OG show and Season 2 of Hawai’i premiere Monday, September 19 beginning at 9 p.m. EST, while LA's 14th season premieres on Sunday, October 9 at 10 p.m. EST on CBS as part of the 2022 TV schedule. And if you want to revisit past seasons, stream them with a Paramount+ subscription.
