‘On To The Next Adventure’: As Fall TV Gears Back Into Production, Vanessa Lachey Says One Last Goodbye To NCIS: Hawai’i

Vanessa Lachey in NCIS: Hawai'i.
(Image credit: CBS)

While most of the TV shows ending in 2024 fell prey to ratings issues, cast departures, skyrocketing budgets and more, NCIS: Hawai’i wasn’t really suffering from any of that. Rather, the island-set spinoff was a rare case of a successful show ending because there was no room left on the schedule. And while fans know to never say never when it comes to the future, the writing was on the wall for Vaness Lachey, who has now bid farewell to Hawaii with her fam.

Most of the shows hitting the Fall TV schedule are already back in production, such as the flagship drama itself, and there’s no doubt the NCIS: Hawai’i squad would be right in line with everyone else had CBS not pulled the plug back in April 2024. So instead of filming more episodes opposite NCIS: L.A. vet LL Cool J, Lachey is instead sharing the following sentiments with her fans and followers:

At no point in life will I ever be able to pull off a look as colorful and snazzy as what Vanessa Lachey has on, which seems far more suited for something wholly positive and celebratory, as opposed to a bittersweet sendoff to her home for the past three years with hubby Nick Lachey and their three kids Camden, Brooklyn and Phoenix. But hey, nobody got time for looking sloppy in Hawaii, so props to her for heading out in style.

In the months prior to sharing the above Instagram post, the couple had to reconfigure their living plans for the future, having purchased their Hawaiian home in 2021 after Vanessa Lachey’s role was locked down. That home has reportedly been listed for $9.8 million, after they’d bought it for $8.8 million (per RobbReport), and they’ve since landed a new home with a modern farmhouse design in Encino, which came with a $6.8 million price tag.

Could NCIS: Hawai'i Ever Revived For A New Season?

Lachey says in her message that Hawaii will always be where her heart is, so that’s something for fans to latch onto going into the new TV season. Even though the CBS franchise has already built out another chapter by way of the prequel NCIS: Origins, and the offshoot NCIS: Sydney was also renewed, there’s always the mild chance that execs could reverse their Hawai’i decision in the future.

To be sure, CBS' programming execs no doubt have plenty of potential projects to pore over whenever new series orders are needed. But should Matlock, Origins or any of the network’s current shows start to plummet wildly across the fall and midseason schedules, they wouldn't really need to look very far to find a series with proven value and a built-in fanbase. Granted, an hour-long ensemble crime drama set on Hawaii is probably more expensive than a buddy sitcom set in a squalid apartment, but there's no franchise value there.

For now, we can only hope that Vanessa Lachey and her family can smoothly leave the Hawaiian islands without being too upset about it. And for those who want to relive Jane Tennant's tenure as a Special Agent-in-Charge, NCIS: Hawai'i is available to stream in full with a Paramount+ subscription.

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Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.