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 episodes, which is a great run for any TV show. Unfortunately, "NCIS: Hawaii" didn't experience the same longevity, as it was sent to the chopping block after three seasons in 2024. What's more, it never got the chance to deliver an all-time great series finale as no one expected it to be canceled, so it bowed out with a frustrating cliffhanger. So, why did CBS decide to cancel the series?

As documented by Variety, CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach revealed that "NCIS: Hawaii" was canceled for a variety of reasons, with factors such as the 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 ultimately we have to look at the cohesiveness of the schedule flow. We have to evaluate the financials and the performance overall, and we make tough decisions."

"NCIS: Hawaii" season 3 boasted some strong ratings, with the show averaging over 5 million viewers most weeks. Unfortunately, solid ratings weren't enough to save it, and other hit shows were sent packing alongside the popular procedural.

As previously mentioned, "NCIS: Hawaii" was cut due to CBS executives wanting to add new shows to the network's schedule. Fortunately for fans of the procedural franchise, some of those shows are part of the "NCIS" universe, including "NCIS: Sydney," "NCIS: Origins" and the upcoming "NCIS: Tony & Ziva" spin-off series.

For the sake of comparison, CBS also made the shocking decision to cancel Tom Selleck's "Blue Bloods" around the same time fans learned "NCIS: Hawaii" wouldn't be renewed. The cop show has been one of the network's biggest hits for over a decade and there was a desire among cast and crew members to keep making new episodes. However, CBS felt change was needed and made the call to axe it. Similarly, "CSI: Vegas" was canceled after three seasons in 2024, despite garnering strong ratings and being part of one of the network's tentpole franchises.

Unlike "Blue Bloods," however, "NCIS: Hawaii" never received an opportunity to end on its own terms. That's a shame, too, as the season 3 finale created some interesting questions ahead of the once-planned fourth installment.

The final episode of "NCIS: Hawaii" ends with Special Agent Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) arriving home expecting to find her daughter waiting for her. Instead, she sees Maggie Shaw (Julie White), her mentor, waiting in the living room. Shaw tells Tennant to grab a drink after the concerned mother enquires about the whereabouts of her daughter, and the screen fades to black. It's a strong way to end a season and build anticipation for the next one, but showrunners Jan Nash, Christopher Silber and Matt Bosack told TVLine that they'd go about it differently now.

"If we'd known it was coming, we probably wouldn't have ended the series on a cliffhanger. The fact that the studio and the network didn't stop us makes it seem like they might not have seen it coming either. We loved our show and know other people loved it, too, but the TV business is a fickle mistress and one can't take business decisions personally. But it still stings."

The creators teased that the disappearance of Tennant's daughter was connected to the agent's history as a spy, and would also have involved her mother. Unfortunately, fans will probably never get to see that story unfold on the screen, as the decision to cancel "NCIS: Hawaii" appears to be final.