Despite receiving mixed reviews, NCIS: Sydney is a streaming hit as the most recent spinoff is doing well both domestically and abroad.
Despite receiving poor reviews, NCIS: Sydney is a streaming success. Due to broadcast networks having to reschedule because of the strikes, NCIS: Sydney was decided to premiere on CBS, even though it was initially uncertain if the series would be available only on streaming services in the United States. One of those adjustments was the TV and streaming debut of NCIS: Sydney, which debuted on CBS on November 14.
TheWrap reports that NCIS: Sydney has garnered strong numbers so far. The debut episode has become the most-streamed CBS premiere on Paramount+. Additionally, just three days after debuting, the international NCIS spinoff has reached nearly 10 million viewers across both CBS and Paramount+. Viewership for the premiere rose to 7.25 million. The spinoff is also a success internationally, in Australia and English-speaking Canada, despite mixed reviews.
What’s NCIS: Sydney About? (& Why Reviews Are Mixed)
NCIS: Sydney focuses on rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, centering on “the brilliant and eclectic” team of U.S. NCIS Agents and the Australian Federal Police. It shows how they ended up as part of a multi-national task force to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet.
Reaction to the spinoff has been uneven thus far. Positively, reviewers have noted that the new CBS series does a good job of creating its own niche while still adhering to the franchise’s structure. The tempo of the procedural and the camaraderie among the NCIS: Sydney actors have also drawn attention, with showrunner Morgan O’Neill receiving particular recognition for these aspects. But the military action drama has also drawn criticism.
More negative assessments have called the story bland and uninteresting, overly reliant on clichés, and clumsy. Even the most positive reviews have stressed that the spinoff doesn’t necessarily break the mold in any notable way. However, it could be that it’s just charming and popular enough to lead to NCIS: Sydney season 2.