The showrunner of NCIS: Sydney addresses the possibility of a 3-way crossover between the new spinoff and the ongoing shows set in D.C. and Hawai’i.
The possibility of NCIS: Sydney crossing over with the rest of the franchise has been addressed. The show, which premiered on Paramount+ in November, follows cases investigated by a task force that combines members of the Australian Federal Police and the American Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The show is the latest entry in the expansive NCIS universe, which includes the original NCIS (which is based in Washington, D.C.), NCIS: Hawai’i, and the since-cancelled NCIS: New Orleans and NCIS: Los Angeles.
TVLine recently asked Sydney creator and showrunner Morgan O’Neill about the possibility of an upcoming 3-way crossover between the ongoing NCIS shows, in spite of the fact that NCIS: Sydney season 2 has not yet been greenlit. He hinted that viewers should “never say never.” O’Neill said that “we’d love to crossover with those guys” and suggested that Hawai’i’s closer proximity might make a crossover easier than with the main branch of NCIS, though remote video cameos also aren’t out of the question. Read his full quote below:
Look — never say never. You can make a fair bit of magic in TV these days. As I have said before, part of the thrill of a franchise like this is that it’s a universe that’s stitched together by a common DNA. We’d love to crossover with those guys, and there would be some pretty exciting ways that you could crossover — with Hawai’i in particular, given that it’s relatively close. It’s definitely right there in the middle. The audiences should feel like those crossover episodes, which are such fan favorites, are definitely top of our mind.
Could a Proper NCIS Crossover Be Possible?
The ability for the NCIS: Sydney cast to appear in other iterations of the show does seem limited by Australia’s geographical isolation. It is becoming more common for interconnected television franchises to expand across the globe, as is the plan for Prime Video’s big-budget espionage show Citadel, so it seems likely the show was developed with some sort of crossover plan in place. However, there are inherent limitations to potential crossovers that expand beyond the geographical.
In addition to scheduling and travel needs, the franchise would also have to find a way to bring a crossover to the screen within the constraints of an episodic television budget. It seems most probable that the crew from NCIS: Sydney would have to interact with other NCIS characters remotely. The producers could also arrange to use greenscreens to make it appear as though the characters are sharing the same space without actually making any of the cast members cross the Pacific.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen if NCIS: Sydney gets renewed in the first place. However, the eight-episode season 1, which is midway through its run, is putting in a good showing. Although reviews have been mixed, the show broke a record, becoming the most-streamed CBS premiere on Paramount+. If the remainder of its episodes draw similar audience interest, it seems very likely that season 2 could be on the way.