NCIS: Sydney

NCIS: Sydney is an Australian military action television series which was released on 10 November 2023 on Paramount+ in Australia and premiered on Network 10 on 15 May 2024. The series is the first spin-off for the NCIS franchise outside the United States and features Australian actors and producers. In March 2024, the series was renewed for a second season by Paramount+ in Australia, which is set to premiere on 31 January 2025.

NCIS: Sydney
Genre	Police procedural Action Military
Created by	Morgan O'Neill
Based on	NCIS franchise by Donald P. Bellisario Don McGill
Directed by	Shawn Seet David Caesar Kriv Stenders Catherine Millar
Starring	Olivia Swann Todd Lasance Sean Sagar Tuuli Narkle Mavournee Hazel William McInnes
Theme music composer	Numeriklab Maria Alfonsine Damian de Boos-Smith
Opening theme	"NCIS Theme"
Ending theme	"NCIS Theme"
Composer	Roger Mason
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	8
Production
Executive producers	Morgan O'Neill Sara Richardson Sue Seeary
Producer	Michele Bennett
Cinematography	Geoffrey Hall Carolyn Constantine
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	43 minutes
Production company	Endemol Shine Australia
Original release
Network	Paramount+ Network 10
Release	10 November 2023 (2023-11-10) – present
Related
Hawaii Five-0 NCIS NCIS: Los Angeles NCIS: New Orleans NCIS: Hawaiʻi NCIS: Origins

Premise

NCIS: Sydney is a spin-off of NCIS and its franchise, which follows a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) investigating crimes. The series is set in Sydney, Australia. It follows a joint task force that involves NCIS agents and Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers working together on investigations involving American military personnel.

Although the show is set in Sydney, the closest real-life NCIS field office in Australia is actually located in Perth, which is 3,290 km (2,040 mi) away.

Cast

• Olivia Swann as Michelle Mackey, NCIS Special Agent-in-Charge
• Todd Lasance as Jim "JD" Dempsey, Australian Federal Police (AFP) Second-in-Command
• Sean Sagar as DeShawn Jackson, NCIS Special Agent (SA)
• Tuuli Narkle as Constable Evie Cooper, AFP Liaison Officer
• Mavournee Hazel as Bluebird "Blue" Gleeson, AFP forensic scientist
• William McInnes as Roy "Rosie" Penrose, AFP forensic pathologist

Production

On 16 February 2022, it was reported that a spin-off set in Sydney, Australia, was in the works. NCIS: Los Angeles producer Shane Brennan was attached to the project.

The series was created by Morgan O'Neill. It was executive produced by O'Neill, Sara Richardson, and Sue Seeary and produced by Michele Bennett. It began filming in May 2023.

On 20 March 2024, NCIS: Sydney was renewed for a second season, which is set to premiere on 31 January 2025. Two special episodes are set to film in Darwin and surrounding areas for season 2.

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date	Network 10 airdate	Prod. code	Aus. viewers (millions)
1	1	"Gone Fission"	Shawn Seet	Morgan O'Neill	10 November 2023 (2023-11-10)	27 November 2023	101	0.310
During an AUKUS ceremony at Sydney Harbour, a US Navy sailor dies of radiation poisoning, resulting in USS Ronald Reagan NCIS Special Agents Michelle Mackey and DeShawn Jackson partnering up with their Australian Federal Police counterparts, Sergeant Jim "JD" Dempsey and Constable Evie Cooper, with assistance from AFP scientist Bluebird Gleeson and Roy Penrose, a Forensic Pathologist with the AFP, to investigate. During their investigation, the team question a peace activist, who is cleared of wrongdoing. They also find another dead US naval officer who was killed by a mysterious woman. While attempting to enter a nuclear-powered US submarine, they are attacked by a group of deep cover infiltrators, who were seeking to steal classified intelligence from the US Navy. Following a firefight, the surviving infiltrators are killed when their boat explodes in a remote-detonated explosion. Following the incident, a joint NCIS/AFP task force is created to facilitate cooperation between the US and Australian officers.
2	2	"Snakes in the Grass"	Shawn Seet	Written by : Michael Miller & Morgan O'Neill Story by : Stuart Page	17 November 2023 (2023-11-17)	22 May 2024	102	0.341
The team investigate when a Navy compliance officer is found dead in a waterhole, leading them to begin uncovering the origin of the rare, deadly taipan which is uncommon to the area. During their investigation, DeShawn and Evie discover the taipan was part of a group of animals stolen from a pet shop. Michelle and JD investigate the US Navy depot in Sydney and uncover an animal smuggling operation involving staff members and a corrupt US Navy officer. DeShawn also discovers that the Navy compliance officer had infiltrated the smuggling ring but had been killed by his associates after learning he was a mole. DeShawn and Evie discover that the pet shop owner is part of the smuggling operation and are captured by her criminal associates. They are rescued by Michelle and JD. Bluebird also adopts a rescued bird as her pet.
3	3	"Brothers in Arms"	David Caesar	Andrew Anastasios	24 November 2023 (2023-11-24)	29 May 2024	103	0.332
When a shark spits out an arm that's wearing US Navy equipment, the team investigate a trio of former Navy divers, who have established a diving instruction business in Sydney. Roy and Bluebird discover that the arm belonged to a former SEAL PFC Coleman, who was a business partner of the former Navy divers. During the investigation, Bluebird discovers that an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) was present in the location where Coleman perished. The team discovers that the divers stole the UUV's data chip and that drugs were planted in their store to blackmail them into returning the stolen chip. One of the divers confesses to killing the murder victim while the team use the other two to lead them to the buyer seeking to reclaim the drone footage. The buyer is quickly detained by Department of Defense Attache Colonel Rankin, who blocks the group's investigation. After Bluebird learns that the drugs planted in the divers' store originated from a ceased DEA bust, Michelle blackmails Rankin into letting the remaining divers go in return for not leaking evidence suggesting that the Central Intelligence Agency was spying on the Royal Australian Navy. DeShawn and the others formally initiate Bluebird as a full member of the team.
4	4	"Ghosted"	Kriv Stenders	Tamara Asmar	1 December 2023 (2023-12-01)	5 June 2024	104	0.252
When US Petty Officer Eddie Backer is found dead in the historic the Rocks area, the team investigate with a decades-old Navy Cross medal giving them a motive for the death and sending them on a race to catch a killer. The suspect is Frank Doherty, a US Navy seaman and Vietnam War veteran, who went AWOL in 1971 and married his Australian girlfriend Mei Koo. Though Michelle is convinced of his guilt, JD and Roy discover evidence clearing Doherty. During the investigation, the team discover that Backer was attempting to repatriate the Navy Cross medal to Doherty. Jackson also learns that a third man was seen entering the building where Backer was thrown from. The murderer is exposed as Armen Standish, a curator at the Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre, who was attempting to extort money from Doherty and Mei Koo. The team find a loophole around Doherty's desertion charge by arranging his marriage to Mei Koo.
5	5	"Doggieccino Day Afternoon"	David Caesar	Michael Miller	8 December 2023 (2023-12-08)	12 June 2024	105	0.359
While visiting a local dog cafe with his dog, Roy and the other patrons are taken hostage by 15-year old Louie, who robbed a bank in order to obtain money for her cancer-stricken sister Casey. In addition to wearing a fake bomb vest, Louie also livestreams the hostage incident. The NCIS team joins the Australian police response to the hostage crisis. JD clashes with Detective Sergeant Cath Welsh, who is willing to use lethal force to end the hostage situation. Roy uses diplomacy to reason with the troubled Louie. DeShawn and Michelle visit Louie's mother Fiona and Casey while BlueBird analyses Louie's social media profile. The team discover that a criminal named Stone had instigated the bank robbery, planted a hidden bomb inside Louie's vest, and that Fiona was originally going to wear the bomb vest. When Louie questions Stone's plan, he kidnaps Casey. JD and Cath are able to jam Stone's signal long enough for Police to take out Stone before he can detonate the bomb. Police disarm Louie's hidden bomb. Following the hostage crisis, Roy visits his dementia-strickened wife, who is residing in her rest home.
6	6	"Extraction"	Catherine Millar	James Cripps & Clare Sladden	15 December 2023 (2023-12-15)	19 June 2024	106	0.341
While on a crowded bus in Bondi, a man wearing a US Navy jacket dies of a cocaine overdose. Dr Penrose identifies the man as Robert Goddard, who works as a cook for the Peruvian drug syndicate Ramos Cartel. The resulting investigation sends Evie looking back into her past as an undercover narcotics officer with the AFP. Evie is contacted by AFP undercover narcotics officer Kane, who has infiltrated the Ramos Cartel. Evie ghosts her NCIS colleagues during her undercover work. Michelle and JD contact Evie's former superior Detective Dan Skelton of the State Drug Squad, who briefs them on the case. The team also seek out Petty Officer Leeson, who sold the jacket to Goddard, but find him dead inside a warehouse. With Ramos Cartel's boss El Maestro due to visit Sydney, the cartel members including the undercover Evie and Kane cook a batch of drugs. Michelle, DeShawn and JD raid the drug laboratory and confront the criminals. Michelle also encounters Skelton, who is revealed to be secretly working for the cartel and framed Kane for Goddard's murder. Skelton and one of the criminals is killed during an explosion that destroys the drug lab. After arresting El Maestro, Michelle reconciles with Evie.
7	7	"Bunker Down"	Kriv Stenders	Kim Ho & James Cripps	22 December 2023 (2023-12-22)	26 June 2024	107	0.265
Just before the agents of the NCIS team were scheduled to attend a glitzy AI tech launch event hosted by GaiaMetric in a secret underground World War Two-era bunker, Dr Howie Sutcliffe, a researcher with the US Navy, is found dead. JD and DeShawn investigate the murder, while Mackey, Evie, and Bluebird go to the bunker. The event is sabotaged, trapping the guests—including the killer—with just two hours' worth of oxygen. Mackey, Evie, and Bluebird search for a way out of the bunker while JD, DeShawn, and Rosie race to find them. The staff are unable to unlock the bunker due to a technological malfunction. JD and DeShawn discover evidence that Dr Sutcliff's invitation medal was stolen by the killer. They visit GaiaMetric's headquarters but discover that none of the staff know where the bunker is. Mackey and her team managed to find an old copper wire that allows them to temporarily contact JD and DeShawn. Mackey and Evie also encounter an apparently pregnant journalist named Monica Rowe. Mackey and her team attempt to find exits but discover they have been sealed. With Dr Penrose's help and information provided by Bluebird, JD and Deshawn manage to locate the bunker minutes before the oxygen runs out. Evie and Mackey discover that Monica is the murderer and had masterminded the sabotage. After taking her into custody, the team recognise her as Xena, who was part of the team that infiltrated the nuclear submarine USS Navajo.
8	8	"Blonde Ambition"	Catherine Millar	Morgan O'Neill	29 December 2023 (2023-12-29)	3 July 2024	108	0.318
JD's nine year-old son Jack is kidnapped by an international assassin posing as a clown who wants to exchange him for Xena (aka Ana Niemus), the mercenary in their custody. The NCIS: Sydney team and Australian police track the stolen clown's van to a carpark but finds that it has been booby trapped. Inside, they find the remains of the real clown, who has conifers on his hands. Using this evidence, Bluebird deduces that the kidnapper, Yaroslav Utkin, is a devoted Russian Orthodox believer. With the FBI heading to Sydney to arrest Niemus, JD escapes with her and meet up with Utkin to arrange the hostage swap. Utkin however reveals that Jack's kidnapping was a ploy to lure Niemus out in order to kill her. Before Utkin can kill JD and Jack, Niemus kills him before escaping but not before giving JD a smartphone to call someone for help. When JD dials the number, Mackey learns the number belongs to Colonel Rankin, ending the episode on a cliffhanger.

International broadcast

In New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the series was also available to stream from 10 November 2023, on TVNZ+ and Paramount+ respectively. It is distributed internationally by Paramount Global Content Distribution and is available for streaming on Paramount+ in selected territories internationally.

In the United States, the series premiered on the franchise's parent network CBS on 14 November 2023 as part of 2023 Hollywood labor disputes replacement programming. The second season is set to premiere on 31 January 2025. In Canada, the series premiered on Global and was simulcast alongside the CBS broadcast, also premiering on 14 November 2023.

External links

• Official website
• Official website – 10Play
• Production website
• NCIS: Sydney at IMDb 
• NCIS: Sydney at CBS.com (US)
• NCIS: Sydney at GlobalTV.com (Canada)
• NCIS: Sydney at TVNZ (New Zealand)