NCIS: Sydney Missing From CBS Fall Lineup—What the New York News Really Means
NCIS: Sydney is missing from CBS’s Fall 2026 lineup, with newcomer NCIS: New York sliding into its slot — raising the question: is Sydney gone for good? CBS confirmed Wednesday, April 15, that Tuesdays remain an all-NCIS night, led by the flagship at 8 p.m. ET.
If you scanned CBS' Fall 2026 grid and thought 'Wait, where did NCIS: Sydney go?' — you did not hallucinate. The Aussie spinoff is off the fall board, but it is not canceled. CBS just reshuffled its all-Tuesday NCIS lineup and benched Sydney until midseason. Here is how it all shakes out, and why.
What CBS just locked for Tuesdays (and what moved)
- Fall 2026 keeps Tuesdays as wall-to-wall NCIS: the mothership stays put at 8 p.m. ET.
- Sliding into 9 p.m. ET is NCIS: New York, with LL Cool J back as Sam Hanna and Scott Caan playing his new partner. That 9 p.m. hour is where NCIS: Origins has been living.
- NCIS: Origins is not going anywhere — it returns this fall for Season 3, but shifts down to 10 p.m. ET.
- So where is NCIS: Sydney? It returns for Season 4, but not until CBS' 2026–2027 midseason slate. No month in 2027 has been announced yet. For reference, Sydney's third season has been airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET.
- Other shows sliding to midseason alongside Sydney: Matlock, Ghosts, and new drama Einstein, which stars Criminal Minds alum Matthew Gray Gubler.
- Part of why the board looks different: CBS is making room for more fall premieres, including Cupertino, Eternally Yours, and the NCIS: New York launch.
So, is NCIS: Sydney in trouble?
Nope. It is the franchise 's only series set outside the U.S., CBS has already confirmed Season 4, and it is slated for midseason. This looks like scheduling Tetris, not a death knell.
In case you are catching up, Sydney stars:
Olivia Swann as NCIS Special Agent Captain Michelle 'Mackey' Mackey; Todd Lasance as AFP's Jim 'JD' Dempsey; Sean Sagar as DeShawn Jackson; Tuuli Narkle as Evie Cooper; Mavournee Hazel as Bluebird 'Blue' Gleeson; and William McInnes as Doc Roy 'Rosie' Penrose.
Meet NCIS: New York
LL Cool J is bringing Sam Hanna back to his old stomping grounds. Per CBS' logline, Sam returns to New York City and teams up with a roguish special agent played by Scott Caan. The two help lead a new squad handling high-stakes ops to protect one of the world's busiest cities — and its port.
Sam's recent travel itinerary, for continuity nerds: he popped up on NCIS in 2025 after a run on the third and final season of NCIS: Hawai'i in 2024. Before that, he spent 2009–2023 on NCIS: Los Angeles.
NCIS: New York is produced by CBS Studios. Executive producers include R. Scott Gemmill, Byron Balasco (who is also showrunner), LL Cool J, and Jason Barrett.
What CBS is saying about the shift
'CBS broadcasts the most-watched entertainment shows in the country and continues to launch more every season,' said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. 'We’ll build on that this fall by expanding the powerful NCIS franchise, introducing a new original drama from the creators of The Good Wife and ELSBETH and a new comedy from the acclaimed duo behind Ghosts. This all adds up to another schedule built for launching new hits, scaling audiences and growing content value.'
The now vs. the fall
Right now, nothing changes on your Tuesday nights: NCIS at 8 p.m. ET, NCIS: Origins at 9 p.m. ET, and NCIS: Sydney at 10 p.m. ET. When fall hits, New York grabs 9 p.m., Origins slides to 10 p.m., and Sydney sits out until midseason.