Two CBS execs explain why both NCIS: Hawai’i and CSI: Vegas were cancelled despite being fairly strong performers from two major franchises.
CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach discusses the network’s decision to cancel its shows NCIS: Hawai’i and CSI: Vegas. Both shows are spinoffs of already successful franchises, with Vegas serving as the fifth show in the CSI franchise as a revival of the original, and Hawai’i being the fourth spinoff of the NCIS franchise. The shows were both putting up decent numbers for the network, but CBS made the unexpected decision to cancel them.
According to reports from The Wrap, Reisenbach confirmed that neither show will be returning for a fourth season, while CEO George Cheeks cited the overall performance of both, as well as finances, as the principal reasons for them being canceled. This is also why they cannot transition into Paramount+ originals. The news comes despite CBS reporting that it will end the 2023-24 season as the most watched broadcast network in primetime for a staggering 16th season. Read Reisenbach and Cheeks’ comments below:
Reisenbach: It is incumbent on us to always keep the schedule fresh [and] keep momentum going. We had to make some really tough choices this year, everything came back really strong.
Cheeks: Budgets are challenged, so we don’t have an unlimited amount of slots on Paramount+.
What The NCIS: Hawai’i & CSI: Vegas Cancellations Mean For CBS
Could Either Show End up Uncancelled?
The success and existing legacy of the franchise makes CSI: Vegas’ surprising season 4 cancellation all the more shocking, while NCIS: Hawai’i’s cancellation leaves a frustrating unfinished storyline for audiences. Reisenbach’s explanation for the decision rings somewhat hollow, especially considering the fact that the viewing figures for both shows were pretty strong. It is more likely the network felt a need to clear the roster to give upcoming shows a chance.
Audiences hoping for some kind of change of decision should not hold their breaths, as the network ruled out the possibility of a SWAT-style reversal, where a cancelled show is instead revived due to viewer outcry. This could be a move by CBS to try to reinvent itself from a position of strength, clearing the slate for the 2024-25 season, which so far seems to be grounded in IP the network strongly believes in.
As for the NCIS and CSI franchises, they face two different futures following the cancelations of Hawai’i and Vegas. CSI has no ongoing spinoff shows, but The Wrap’s report reveals there is one in “active development.” Meanwhile, NCIS as a franchise is still going strong, with the original series currently in season 21, NCIS: Sydney recently renewed for a season 2, and two other spinoffs set to begin production in the coming months. CBS will be hoping the new broadcast season is as successful as the last, despite the cancelations it has made.