CBS has been missing any fresh NCIS franchise action so far this fall due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike. Reruns of the original series aired throughout the wait for the strikes to end; now, the premiere of NCIS' first international spinoff is quickly approaching in the 2023 TV schedule. CBS is giving NCIS: Sydney a special promotional push, including a promo that airs during the network's NFL Sunday broadcasts on November 12. There's a good reason for the trippy twist.
No, your television didn't malfunction if you're a viewer who spotted an NCIS: Sydney promo looking completely normal before flipping upside down, and it wasn't a mistake from CBS. TVLine reports that CBS is deliberately airing upside down promos for the upcoming NCIS: Sydney premiere during the NFL games on Sunday, November 12. The unconventional angle for the commercials is a nod to the new show taking the familiar NCIS franchise action down under to Australia. Take a look:
Seeing TV footage flipped the wrong direction isn't entirely new, but seeing it for the NCIS franchise instead of a new season of Stranger Things is a surprise! CBS released the promo ahead of the NFL games on November 12, but scheduled the first of the upside down promos to air during CBS Sports' The NFL Today. Some of the ads will also feature Sia's "Unstoppable," including the one above.
While the first episode of the Sydney-set series hasn't arrived quite yet, viewers will notice in the promo that not every character has an Australian accent. The first international take on NCIS should be quite unlike the other shows in the franchise, and not just because the NCIS: Sydney cast doesn't have any familiar faces. Like NCIS: Hawai'i, it's not launching via a backdoor pilot.
Viewers don't have to expect the new show to feel completely unconnected from the rest of the franchise just because it's set in a different country, however. NCIS: Sydney showrunner Morgan O'Neill has previewed that there are some Easter eggs as nods to other NCIS series. How many and how major they are remains to be seen, but at least the wait is nearly over.
The new show might never have been set for primetime in the United States if not for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which meant that CBS was low on scripted dramas to air in the fall, and NCIS: Sydney did not have to stop production like so many American TV and film projects. After the news broke in September that Sydney would air on CBS after all, the network even gave the newest NCIS the 8 p.m. ET time slot on Tuesday nights that was so successful for such a long time for the original NCIS.
The series premiere of NCIS: Sydney airs on Tuesday, November 14 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. You'll also be able to catch new episodes streaming with a Paramount+ subscription. As for what you can look forward to in the new year, be sure to check out our 2024 TV premiere schedule.
