The first reviews have landed for new NCIS spin-off NCIS: Sydney – and they're pretty strong so far.
The new series takes the franchise Down Under, following a multinational task force including US NCIS agents and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
Among the ensemble are NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey (Olivia Swann) and Australian Sergeant Jim "JD" Dempsey (Todd Lasance).
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The first reviews for the series have been coming in over the past few weeks, with the show amassing an impressive 83% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics suggest that Sydney is a welcome addition to the NCIS franchise with its new location, even if it does follow familiar procedural tropes.
Here's what reviewers have been saying:
TheWrap
"With feisty female characters, quality production values, non-stop action, high stakes and a high banter quotient, NCIS: Sydney should more than satisfy the international cult of NCIS."
TVLine
"After 43 total seasons and a nearly 1,000 (!) combined episodes, does the NCIS franchise have anything new to offer…? NCIS: Sydney suggests that a trip to the land Down Under shakes things up enough to warrant another offshoot."
TV Fanatic
"NCIS: Sydney is a fast-paced chapter that makes up for the lack of initial chemistry between its ensemble with brilliant characterization and some of the best cases in years."
ScreenHub
"To be extremely clear, this isn’t trying to do anything new with the by-now very well-established NCIS formula. If you like those series you’ll almost certainly like this. [...] In the end this is still a series made for American consumption."
PerthNow
"Despite the vernacular and the setting, the NCIS familiarity is there for fans who don’t want their crime procedurals to veer from the formula. If that’s not your bag, this show was never for you. It’s certainly not doing anything new; it’s TV-by-numbers."
Pittsburgh Tribune
"Fans who like NCIS will surely approve of this brand extension. Viewers who see it as a simplistic procedural will ignore it as they have past versions over the franchise’s 20-year run. Anyone looking to get drunk need only chug every time NCIS: Sydney features views of the Sydney Opera House. You’ll be out cold before the first episode ends."
NCIS: Sydney airs on Paramount+ and Network 10. NCIS airs on CBS in the US. Seasons 1-20 are streaming on Disney+ in the UK.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
