NCIS is one of the world’s most successful TV dramas. Now Australia has its own version.

NCIS: Sydney is a welcome addition to the successful franchise, while also standing alone as its own must-watch new TV series. 

Premiering November 10 on Paramount+, NCIS: Sydney is the first-ever international series from the global NCIS franchise, which began in 2003 with the original NCIS and went on to launch the popular spin-off series' NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans and NCIS: Hawaiʻi. 

And while it has all the same drawcards as the original shows, NCIS: Sydney comes with a distinct Aussie flare, and not just because of its sweeping opening shots across the iconic Sydney Harbour and Opera House.

In the opening moments of NCIS: Sydney we meet the show's leading man Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey from the Australian Federal Police, a man who is both devoted to his job and also a classic Aussie larrikin who is also more than happy to bend the rules of police work on occasion. 

Dempsey is played by Australian actor Todd Lasance who has starred in shows such as Without Remorse and Spartacus: War of the Damned, but is also well-known to Australian audiences thanks to playing Aden Jefferies on Home and Away for several seasons. 

Following the death of a U.S. Seaman on a U.S. nuclear submarine during an AUKUS ceremony on Sydney Harbour JD is teamed up with NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey (played by DC's Legends of Tomorrow star Olivia Swann) as they and their teams from the U.S. NCIS and the Australian Federal Police are meshed together to make up a new multinational task force. Charged with keeping naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet.

And with a slew of big personalities and different ways of working in play, it's safe to say that neither JD or Mackey are initially happy about the new arrangement. 

Image: Paramount+.

Mackey is a character with a slightly mysterious past, the kind of person who throws herself into work but is incredibly reserved when it comes to her personal life. Mackey's odd couple dynamic with JD is one of the initial drawcards of the series, and watching the two of them bond while working together and then form a mutual respect (and maybe more down the line?) is a plot line that will have you wanting to binge this series at breakneck speed.

Much like the shows in this franchise that came before it, NCIS: Sydney is packed with impressive action scenes, high-speed chase sequences, tense showdown moments, and some very interesting crime scene investigations. 

And because this is Australia, one crime scene happens to be hiding some very poisonous snakes. Though, the strength of the series truly lies in the on-screen chemistry of this newly created team. 

Watch the trailer for NCIS: Sydney, premiering November 10 on Paramount+. Post continues below.

Within this new team is NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson (played by Sean Sagar from The Covenant and Mea Culpa) an easy-going agent who will dive headfirst into dangerous police situations but is initially less than thrilled with his new work assignment location and the many dangerous creatures (mostly spiders) he's just discovered reside in Australia. 

There's also Australian Federal Police Liaison Officer Constable Evie Cooper (played by Tuuli Narkle from Mystery Road: Origin and Bad Behaviour), JD's no-nonsense colleague who is teamed up with DeShawn and delights in torturing him with stories about Australian things that can kill him, even if most of them are not true.

Rounding out the team is the quirky but brilliant Australian Federal Police Forensic Scientist, Bluebird ‘Blue’ Gleeson (played by Mavournee Hazel from Shantaram and Halifax: Retribution) who has her own unique methods when it comes to solving crimes and is initially terrified of Mackey, until the team begins to finally bon. Acting as a bit of a wise overlord of the team is Australian Federal Police forensic pathologist Dr Roy Penrose (played by William McInnes from The Newsreader and Total Control). 

Image: Paramount+.

NCIS is one of the world’s most successful TV dramas, ranking as the #1 U.S. TV drama franchise globally, and NCIS: Sydney is a very worthy addition to the long-running TV franchise that viewers have been in love with for decades.  

If you're looking to sink your teeth into a police procedural with likable characters, impressive action sequences, a sense of mystery and tension in every episode, all set against the backdrop of some of Australia's most iconic locations then NCIS: Sydney needs to be at the top of your must-watch list. 

NCIS: Sydney is streaming from November 10 exclusively on Paramount+. =

Feature Image: Paramount+.