Cancellation of 'NCIS: Hawaii' deals big blow to fans — and Hawaii's economy

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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - After three seasons, the TV series "NCIS: Hawaii" that employed some 400 people will air its final episode in about a week.

Many say the recent news has disappointed fans and is dealing an economic blow to Hawaii's economy.

The shock is still setting in for the actors, the crew and the fans.

Eugene Price, the owner of Honolulu Design Firm "PD Technologies," says the show earned him $50,000 last year.

"Very good business. We are one of the few people they come to on a regular basis," Eugene Price.

"We were very, very surprised. They are valuable to Hawaii... they employ so many people."

Rachel Whitley was the Hawaii casting director for all three seasons and said she was shocked by the cancellation.

"It creates hundreds of hundreds of jobs. Not just actors, but stand-ins and stunt doubles," Whitley said.

Hundreds of comments are pouring in online, with many confused since the show averaged more than five million viewers.

Longtime Casting director Katie Doyle says fan support and ratings are good, but more is needed.

"It's no longer about the ratings. It's about the money. It's about what it costs to produce that show here," Doyle said.

Whitley estimates CBS spent $75 million a season on NCIS: Hawaii. It's why other locations are competing for productions.

"We have several films that were filming already here, and all of a sudden it up and moved to New Zealand because it came too cost prohibitive," Doyle said.

The state does offer tax incentives, but industry insiders say they still aren't enough.

More than 15,000 fans have signed a petition calling on CBS to change its decision. That is also likely not enough.

"It's very sad for many of us, but it could be a wake-up call."

Back in West Oahu, UH has selected a developer to build a state-of-the-art film studio, but it's still years away from becoming a reality.

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