Why CBS Is Dropping NCIS: Hawai’i Scenes Into the Middle of NCIS
Have you recently looked up from your phone while waiting out an NCIS ad break, fearing that you missed the end of the episode because a scene from NCIS: Hawai’i is playing on your screen?
For those who have been watching NCIS and or FBI live this fall, the reaction to this new style of CBS promo is mixed. (And to those harrumphing, “Who sits through commercials anymore?!,” well, this fun article probably isn’t for you.)
When I tweeted this Monday about nearly a full NCIS: Hawai’i scene being dropped into an NCIS ad break (instead of a traditional, quick “Coming up next!” teaser), one viewer concurred, “It is very odd. I actually thought the feed was messed up the first time I saw one,” while another said, “I was so confused last week during FBI thinking my TV glitched and jumped into [FBI:] International.” A third tersely opined, “Not a fan. AT ALL.”
But at least one of my followers saw things from both sides, tweeting, “It’s a little jarring, but I get what they’re trying to do.”
What is CBS trying to do? Simply said, they want you to look up from your granddaughter’s TikTok (or whatever) and keep your eyes on the bigger screen in the room. In a crowded marketplace, it was explained to me by a CBS insider, “you’ve got to try new tricks to engage audiences.” The 10-second teaser spot that many of us grew up with and are used to “generally isn’t effective anymore,” I was told, “because people are busy, have phones in their laps….”
Meaning, if you, like I, have ever been startled to think that NCIS or FBI suddenly ended and the following program was already airing, and you in turn quickly redirected your attention to the TV, CBS’ work here is done. The promo department’s job is to let the audience know about the product (in this case, the new series NCIS: Hawai’i and FBI: International), get them interested and (in success) “get them to not turn the dial at the top of the hour,” says the CBS source.
Another new tactic that CBS is employing this fall is a promo campaign called “The Fight for Justice Never Sleeps,” which touts its 10 o’clock (and only its 10 o’clock) dramas. That effort stems from the fact that shows such as NCIS: Hawai’i, CSI: Vegas and Bull have improved viewership vs. their time slot predecessors (which, admittedly, got socked by a pandemic-depressed climate). Making the extra effort to hype 10 pm dramas can only benefit the local newscasts that follow and, in turn, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (which easily outdraws its ABC and NBC rivals in viewers, and nips at The Tonight Show in the demo).
What do you think of CBS airing “full” scenes of the program that follows during NCIS and FBI ad breaks?
Want scoop on any of the above shows? Email InsideLine@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.
My reaction is a bit different, in that I never watch any commercial-filled show live, saving them all for DVR. So as I’m speeding through the ads during the breaks (and I watch both NCIS and FBI), every single one of these scenes for the following shows has caused me stop speeding, thinking the show had resumed, since they have similar “looks”, and sometimes I get confused, but it did cause me to stop the avoidance of ads. It’s really pretty ingenious advertising.
Similar, except I still avoid the ads unless while fast forwarding I see something that catches my eye. But in this case, no – it just bugs me so I’m learning to fast forward through the NCIS: Hawai’i ads.
Since I watch very little life TV, I zip through the commercials. But I do stop from time to time to make sure I didn’t overshoot my show.
I don’t care for it at all. NCIS is a below average show being over promoted. These promoted scenes make me even less likely to watch it.
Could care less about NCIS:Hawaii….love NCIS, NCIS:LA & NCIS:New Orleans! CBS dropped New Orleans for Hawaii??? Whoever had that idea should be fired. There’s no chemistry on Hawaii like the others had. I don’t see any crossovers like they did with the Big 3, they’re hoping it will stand on its own, I’m pretty sure it won’t. Watched the first 2 episodes and was extremely bored with it plus there’s no popular actor in the lead for viewers to like.
It’s stupid to shove the new NCIS down our throats. I can’t stand the new show and FBI Tuesday is not watched either. Could not get interested in them either.
Yep that’s exactly what it feels like they’re doing
I agree. New NCIS is not enjoyable at all. Hard to believe. And making a full night of various FBI shows loses me. I like FBI. The rest are mediocre. And having the shows crossing over all the time to force you to watch them all is a turnoff too. I just go to Netflix and pull up original NCIS and watch the re-runs.
This sucks you wonder why people are leaving in droves
I mean, they must be smallish droves – these are still the two most popular new shows of the season.
Except the are not leaving, but go ahead, continue.
Except they are. Hawai’i’s already lost 1.5 million viewers since their pilot. (Full disclosure: NCIS has lost nearly as much.) And Hawai’i loses 2 million viewers once their cushion-y NCIS lead-in is over.
I’ll admit when I first saw it during season 2 of FBI (a “promo” scene if FBI Most Wanted) I was wondering what was going on. It took several fast forwards and rewinds on the DVR to realize it was a promo. Now I don’t even pay attention to them and just FF through them like a commercial. So it’s not really getting eyeballs on it after people realize what’s up.
It was weird, but I’m not mad about it. I did think the feed was messed up for a minute.
Fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me. I caught on quickly and still decided to continue my online exploring during commercial breaks instead of fast-forwarding thru them. At least I’m giving live viewing some rating points.😊
For someone who watches starting about 15 minutes late to fast forward through the commercials, it’s annoying. I always think I overshot the mark and end up rewinding/fast forwarding to figure out where I’m supposed to be. It doesn’t make me like the new shows more, it makes them irritate me more. Hawaii and International are ok filler shows but I’d never tune in for them specifically
It’s too confusing when your watching one series ie NCIS and they drop another show start ie NCIS: Hawaii in the middle of the 1st show that your watching. It just confused the previous show storyline making you wonder if the 2nd show drop is part of the 1st show. Not a fan of it
I agree. It confuses me . It also distracts me from the plot of the NCIS show that I am watching on purpose and trying to follow. Also not a fan.
Yes! I was starting to think I’d fallen asleep or something and missed part of NCIS. Then the episode continued. I thought it was just me, so I’m glad to know others scratched their heads, too!
It’s all good! Change is good! Im on board. Like the new guy on NCIS. Mondays and Tuesdays are good ♡
They picked a great replacement for Gibbs. I’m a big fan of Gary Cole.
That tactic doesn’t affect me as I’m all streaming (No over the air and no cable) including Paramount+. I gener don’t watch live feeds there, either.
Its ridiculous and so jarring. It shouldn’t be allowed to happen. Still won’t get me to watch the show though. Regardless of how much you do it CBS. If anything for me its a negative not a positive.
I feel like I’ve seen similar practices elsewhere.
I think it was USA that used to air entire scenes from later in the episode during the commercial breaks of their shows. Very disorienting, but it did effectively trick you to stop fast-forwarding through the commercials.
I was going to post exactly this minus the fast-forwarding part, since I have never had a DVR lol. Also it was USA network, they must have done it for at least one “summer season”.
It didn’t take long to figure out what the network was doing, and since I live tweet during NCIS, it gives me a bit more time to catch up on the twitter side. Doesn’t really bother me, and easy to ignore.
NCIS:Hawaii is doomed. Why film in Hawaii when all of the scenes are filmed indoors? Cannot compare to the origina Hawaii 50 or Magmun PI for beautiful Hawaii scenes,
I will totally admit to being a bit confused when the much longer than usual promo for NCIS Hawai’i happened causing me to wonder if the network itself had some kind of a glitch.Thanks for the explanation.As to how effective the tactic will be going forward remains to be seen.It’s possible some people might be intrigued enough to stay tuned to an episode but I’m sure for the people who have already decided they dislike NCIS Hawai’i and/or FBI International it will just add to their complaints.
P.s.–I ,personally,do usually watch NCIS Hawai’i and think it’s coming along into it’s own).
I watch these shows on Paramount+. No ads.
If I watch ‘live’, it’s 15-20 minutes later to FF the ads. Knowing now about this new gimmick, will stick with streaming on Paramount+ instead excluding ads. Have no interest in the new show so the gimmick wouldn’t work on me anyway.
I think that NCIS Hawaii sucks in general so I never watch those episodes.
I watch NCIS and the first time it happened I thought my cable had messed up and skipped to NCIS Hawai’i. Once it happened the following the week and I realized this would be normal, I’m okay with it. The only thing I don’t like is when it spoils the plot or a moment in the show like it did a few weeks ago.
Well it won’t work on me, at least not with NCIS Hawaii. I’ve found it to be pretty disappointing so far. New Orleans was way better.
Some of the NCIS:Hawai’i plots could have been set in New Orleans! I’d say HALF the episodes aired so far this season could have been in NOLA with changes.
I guess they might have had some episode treatments left over they wanted to reuse.
Too bad… I have completely enjoyed NCIS:Hawaii and look forward to more!
NO was losing me so fast it wasn’t even funny…
I think they were completely running out of storylines.
AND JUST WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH WATCHING COMMERCIALS??
I agree that New Orleans was way better. The only one of the series I really liked. Hated it when they ended it.
BULL is CBS’s lowest rated 10pm Show, CSI:VEGAS has weak numbers, NCIS HAWAI’I isn’t doing bad, but it isn’t doing great – perhaps doing the best of the 10pm shows.
But then, even BLUE BLOODS is down in demos and overall and STILL is the most watched overall show on Fridays.
My favorite part of this article: I think it’s hysterical that you’ve got to “try new tricks so that a modern audience” won’t “turn the dial” on their tv set from the 1960s.
It’s awful & will work a few weeks till we know what’s going on we watch our phones again until it’s over!