Get ready procedural drama fans, NCIS: Sydney is set to hit screens November 10, and we think it’s the best thing to happen for Australian tourism since Vegemite on sliced bread.
The original US cult classic television series boasts a modest 457 episodes, that have aired over the last 20 years. And while NCIS: Sydney will be the fourth spinoff of NCIS, it’s the first to be filmed and set outside of the US.
Todd Lasance stars in the new series as Australian Federal Police officer Sergeant Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey, who must work together with NCIS Agent Michelle Mackey, who is led to Sydney after the death of an American seaman on a US nuclear submarine, and is played by Olivia Swann.
Obviously, as the show is a spinoff, viewers will definitely still see naval helicopters, murder investigations with twists and turns, and everything else that makes NCIS so popular… But what will make NCIS: Sydney uniquely Australian?
Well, The Weekly sat down with the cast of NCIS: Sydney – Todd and Olivia, as well as Sean Sagar, Mavournee Hazel, and Tuuli Narkle – ahead of the series’ premiere, and they revealed four things that make the series certifiably ‘Aussie’.
1. Aussie heartthrob Todd Lasance!
We were thinking it, but Olivia said it! When asked what aspect she believed made NCIS: Sydney uniquely Australian, Olivia instantly said, “Home and Away heartthrob Todd Lasance, 100 per cent, he’s uniquely Australian that man.”
2. The Australian animals
Without giving too much away, we can confirm NCIS: Sydney will have a plot line that revolves around exotic animal smuggling – genius, considering Australia is home to multiple wild and weird critters.
Sean admitted he came “face to face with” an inland taipan while filming, and Mavournee shared that she became good friends with a gala named Rosie onset!
3. Iconic monuments
“This is going to sound so cliche. [But] the locations we shot at were mind blowingly beautiful. We would get up at 4am, drive to set and the Harbour Bridge and Opera House would be next door,” Todd admitted.
It sounds like we can expect a few iconic landmarks to make an appearance. How many times will a crime take place at a beach, and will we see the NCIS squad stepping on the toes of the Bondi Rescue boys in blue?
4. The classic Aussie humour
“There are a lot of Australianisms, there’s so much Aussie humour; there’s all that dry humour coming from my character as well. So, it’s all in the language and the scenery and the geography and the tone,” Todd revealed.
When is NCIS: Sydney coming out?
The good news is you don’t have to wait! NCIS: Sydney will be hitting screens on Paramount+ on November 10, 2023. It will be airing in the United States four days later, and will be the first Australian drama series to premiere during a prime time spot in the US.
