The creation ofNCIS: Sydneymarked the first time one of CBS Studios global drama franchises earned an international spinoff.
Now, its giving CBS the opportunity to have original episodes of anNCISshow before the end of the year.
Therest of CBS scripted series, including theNCISmothership andNCIS: Hawaii, arent returning until February.
L-R: Tuuli Narkle as AFP Liaison Officer Constable Evie Cooper, Todd Lasance as AFP Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey, Olivia Swann as NCIS Special Agent Captain Michelle Mackey and Sean Sagar as Special Agent DeShawn Jackson at Bondi Beach, on the set of NCIS: Sydney.Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+
Its right in the center of town.
It commands the most spectacular views of the Sydney harbour and the Opera House and the harbour bridge.
We have a terrific relationship with the Royal Navy, which allowed us access.
DEADLINE:Was it a challenge, getting access to those ships?
ONEILL:I mean, youre negotiating with the pointy end of the armed services.
So theres always a little bit of red tape to push through.
They want to be associated with that.
Its fun, it represents them really well.
So they came on board and they were massively helpful.
In the opening episode, we have a Navy Seahawk helicopter flying above Sydney Harbour.
Thats real, and its one of those things you cant rent by the day.
And he said, swing away.
But they just wrote it down and got back to us.
DEADLINE:So is is there an NCIS office in Sydney?
ONEILL:Theres actually a few In Australia.
Theres one in Perth, one in Darwin and the biggest one is in Sydney.
DEADLINE:When you were tasked with adapting this format, did you get a bible of the franchise?
Or did you simply watch old episodes?
Ordinarily in my job, youre coming up with stuff from scratch.
I had 950 odd episodes to delve into.
Its a combination of a workplace comedy and a family drama.
Hopefully they often do.
Thats what the show does well.
So L.A. is markedly different to the mothership.
New Orleans was markedly different from from Los Angeles and Hawaii is different again.
What they were trying to do was confirm they expanded the universe without replicating it.
Its a police procedural with a wink.
Its kind of cheeky, and it has an underdog swagger to it.
The location gave it a completely different flavor, iteration to iteration.
We have different light, we have a very different cultural sensibility.
Were 9,000 miles from anywhere.
Hopefully that comes across.
For an audience in Australia, for instance, this should feel like an authentic Australian show.
DEADLINE:Can you give an example of a story that wouldnt work on any other NCIS show?
Something that is unique toNCIS: Sydney?
ONEILL:One of the first things that youll notice is that its a blended family.
The other iterations of the show are made up of Americans because theyre all set in America.
You also see them on day one.
We get to see this organization start from scratch.
That offers a huge amount of fun because were building a team that doesnt know one another.
We also did a fair amount of anecdotal research in terms of how the world sees Australia.
We could debunk a few things.
Everything can kill you.
We have 20 of the 25 most deadly snakes in the world in Australia.
I mean 80% of all venomous things on the planet live in Australia.
We definitely lean into that.
DEADLINE:Are the Australian actors you chose recognizable in Australia?
ONEILL:Very recognized.
Especially Todd Lasance, who plays Australian Federal Police Sgt.
Hes an Australian fellow from a little town of Gumly Gumly just outside of Wagga Wagga.
Im not making it up.
I know it sounds like it but Im not.
Hes very recognizable to Australians and he also worked in America.
William McInnes, who plays our curmudgeonly forensic pathologist, is one of Australias great television actors.
Hes been the face of a couple of enormous shows out here.
DEADLINE:There was some talk early on that formerNCISEP Shane Brennan would be involved in this.
What happened with that?
His involvement predates me, and Im not sure how that eventually panned out.
Hes been enormously helpful.
I have huge respect for Shane.
DEADLINE:So how did you find out that this would be airing on CBS?
ONEILL:We were actually at a publicity shoot.
I think it was the day after wed wrapped and I was watching everyone get dolled up.
One of the executive producers walked in after getting off the phone with America.
Execs looked at the first four or five episodes and apparently really flipped for them.
Suddenly we were on CBS primetime.
I believe were the first Australian show ever to do that.
Weve certainly had a conversation around how excited they are by the show.
This is a big franchise.
A show likeNCISisnt really in the habit of just doing one season, you know.
They want to expand the universe and keep expanding it.
NCIS: Sydneypremieres Nov. 14 at 8 p.m.
