The down-under spinoffNCIS: Sydneyreturned for its sophomore season in early 2025, and now the police procedural has been renewed for season 3. Debuting during the strike-affected fall season of 2023, theNCISoffshoot concerns American agents of the titular agency as they team up with the Australian Federal Police to crack cases involving members of the American military.
The first spinoff of the decades-old franchise to be set outside the United States,NCIS: Sydneyoffers a refreshing change of pace for the series, which debuted all the way back in 2003.
The 2023 fall TV slate was heavily affected by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, and the debutingNCIS: Sydneywas one of the few programs to arrive on time. This helped give CBS an edge and also got a lot of attention for the burgeoning spinoff.
WiththeNCISfranchisein a state of flux,Sydneyis a more traditional procedural, even with off-shoots likeNCIS: Tony & ZivaandNCIS: Originsoffering a change of format. With theNCISuniverse still continuing to expand,NCIS: Sydneyhas scored an early season 3 renewal.
NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Latest News
CBS Plans An All-NCIS Night
The latestNCIS: Sydneyseason 3 news is that there is a definite premiere date for the new season. As part ofthe fall 2025 schedule for CBS, the network has planned a full night ofNCISfor fans.NCIS: Sydneywill move from Friday nights to Tuesdaysto air alongside the network’s otherNCISseries.
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NCIS,NCIS: Origins, andNCIS: Sydneywill all air in a block on Tuesday nights, the first time the network has been able to air all of itsNCISseries together. All three will premiere on October 14.
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NCIS: Sydney
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WhenNCIS: Sydneydebuts, there will also be a bit of a time jumpfor the storyline (viaCollider). While season 2 picked up immediately after the events of season 1, that will not be the case here, which is more in line with how primetime procedurals usually operate.
NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Is Confirmed
Go Down Under For Season 3 Soon
Coming as part of CBS' mass renewal announcement in late February 2025,NCIS: Sydneyseason 3 was renewed. Announced alongside the renewals ofNCISseason 23 andNCIS: Originsseason 2,the international spinoff was given an incredibly swift season 3 order. The news came mere days after the season 2 premiere.
NCIS: Sydneyseason 2 premiered on July 16, 2025, and ended on July 01, 2025.
NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Cast Details
The NCIS & AFP Agents Will Return
Though major changes to the cast are always possible, it stands to reason thatthe main cast ofNCIS: Sydneywill remain consistent from season to season. Shows likeNCISrely on the chemistry betweenits main characters, andSydneyhas not one but two law enforcement agencies at the heart of the series.
This means that Olivia Swann will return as NCIS Special Agent-in-Charge, Michelle Mackey. Working closely with the Australians, Mackey’s partner will once again be Todd Lasance as Australian Federal Police Second-in-Command, Jim “JD” Dempsey.
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The rest of the team includes American NCIS Agent DeShawn Jackson, who will once again be played by Sean Sagar, and AFP Liaison Officer Evie Cooper, played by Tuuli Narkle. Working behind-the-scenes to help crack the cases, the AFP forensic pathologist, Roy “Rosie” Penrose, will be played again by William McInnes.
Meanwhile, Mavournee Hazel will reprise her role as Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson, the AFP forensic scientist who works alongside Rosie to assist the agents.
Mavournee Hazel
Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson
NCIS: Sydneyalso utilizes a wide range of guest stars, but it’s impossible to know who they will be yet. So far, the series has not relied on crossovers with the flagship show for any storylines, and there has not been any news of that happening for the new season either.
NCIS: Sydney Season 3 Story Details
What’s Next For The US/Aussie Team-Up?
By their very nature, procedurals are both predictable and unpredictable. Whileit’s predictable that the episodes will consist of case-of-the-week plots that see the team trying to crack some difficult case, it’s unpredictable when it comes to the actual content of the episodes.
One thing thatNCIS: Sydneycould explore going forward is the classic TV trope ofthe slow-burn romance. While fans have thought the most likely candidates for the show are Sean Sagar’s DeShawn Jackson and Tuuli Narkle’s Evie Cooper because of their chemistry, that might not be the case.
According toTV Line’sInside Scoop,NCIS: Sydneywill start to address the growing tension between Mackey and JDinstead. Showrunner Morgan O’Neill told the outlet that after Mackey being betrayed in season 2, her walls will be up, but the tension will be “pierced”:
I don’t know whether, intellectually thinking, ‘this was a bad idea’ is ever as powerful as the emotional pull of ‘this is a good idea.' So, I think Season 3 will definitely pierce that tension.
Outside of that, we might not know much about the overall stories ofNCIS: Sydneyseason 3, but we do know about some filming locations. While the first two seasons have stuck primarily to nondescript areas on the coast, that will not be the case for season 3.
NCIS: Sydneywill be visiting the Sydney Opera House (viaTV Line), a major landmark for Australia, in the season premiere. It will also take at least one case to the Australian Outback (also viaTV Line), giving the series a major change of scenery.
Whatever happens,NCIS: Sydneyhas a lot to work with going into season 3.
Cast
NCIS: Sydney is an Australian crime-police procedural series and is another spin-off in the long-running NCIS franchise. The series is set in Sydney, Australia, and follows Special Agent-in-Charge Michelle Mackey as she and her fellow partners deal with various high-profile cases and crimes.
