NCIS: Hawaii fans are still upset about the show being canceled with no warning! But it’s even worse when you see how many shows with poorer ratings got renewed by CBS!
Every TV season has that one cancellation that has fans majorly up in arms. In 2024, that’s easily NCIS: Hawaii. Axing any popular show is bad enough, especially as the series’ producers were so sure of renewal that they had a big cliffhanger and plans for season 4.
What’s worse, the show was still doing great in the ratings. In fact, according to TVLine, the procedural’s ratings (with DVR and streaming playbacks included) were 7.79 million viewers. That makes it the most watched canceled show that finished its run in the 2023-2024 season. The series only trails behind Blue Bloods, which still has the second half of its final season to air this fall.
This has led to huge anger not just from the fans but the show’s cast and producers who had truly expected a season 4 and completely blindsided by CBS’ decision. It’s because of that the show ended on a cliffhanger that will sadly never be resolved.
The reasons behind this cancellation appear to be production costs and CBS curtailing budgets a bit after the 2023 strikes and due to Paramount Global’s pending sale. But to cancel a show that was still drawing big ratings is utterly baffling, and it’s no wonder fans are so upset about it.
It makes less sense, given the axing appears to be CBS clearing the way for NCIS: Origins, a prequel series on a young Gibbs. To drop a proven smash hit show for a prequel spin-off with an uncertain audience is truly confusing.
To put it in clearer perspective, here’s a look at the CBS shows with poorer ratings than NCIS: Hawaii that got renewed.
What CBS shows lagged behind NCIS: Hawaii?
The list from TVLine is notable for including several CBS successes like freshman hit Elsbeth and two of the FBI franchise. There’s also Fire Country and yes, NCIS: Sydney to show the popularity NCIS: Hawaii had since they all had fewer viewers than the canceled drama.
- Elsbeth (7.4 million)
- Fire Country (7.3 million)
- FBI: Most Wanted (7.2 million)
- NCIS: Sydney (6.5 million)
- The Neighborhood (5.7 million)
- FBI: International (5.2 million, without Live+7 numbers)
- SWAT (4.6 million, without Live+7 numbers)
So as you can see, NCIS: Hawaii outdid several scripted shows on the network. That CBS would cancel a series still doing so well with viewers makes little sense and this list is yet another reminder of how NCIS: Hawaii deserved a much longer life than it got.
NCIS: Hawaii seasons 1-3 are streaming on Paramount+.
This article was originally published on hiddenremote.com as Here’s every renewed CBS show NCIS: Hawaii outperformed this season in the ratings.
