| NCIS | |
| Image Class: | skin-invert |
| Owner: | CBS Studios |
| Origin: | JAG |
| Years: | 2003–present |
NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is a media franchise of American television programs originally created by Donald P. Bellisario and currently broadcast on CBS, all of which deal with military related criminal investigations based on the Naval Criminal Investigative Service of the United States Department of the Navy.
In 2003, NCIS was introduced via a backdoor pilot from the TV show JAG. Over the years, NCIS itself has spawned several spin-offs: (2009–2023), (2014–2021), (2021–2024), (2023–present), (2024–present) and (2025). NCIS: Los Angeles had a proposed spin-off, NCIS: Red, but it was not picked up by CBS.
The main NCIS series, which is the longest-running show of the franchise, premiered its twenty-third season on October 14, 2025.
The first three series (as well as the intended NCIS: Red), were spun off via a two-part episode from an established series, serving in effect as a backdoor pilot.
| Series | Television seasons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 | ||
| NCIS | Pilot | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | |
| Pilot | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | colspan="3" | ||||||||||
| Pilot | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | colspan="5" | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | colspan="2" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
See main article: ''NCIS'' (TV series).
See main article: ''NCIS: Los Angeles''.
See main article: ''NCIS: New Orleans''.
See main article: ''NCIS: Hawaiʻi''. On February 16, 2021, it was reported that a potential spin-off set in Hawaii is in the works from NCIS: New Orleans executive producers Christopher Silber and Jan Nash.[1] On April 23, 2021, it was announced that CBS had given the production a straight-to-series order to the spin-off, and reportedly intended to include the franchise's first female lead character.[2]
See main article: ''NCIS: Sydney''.
On February 16, 2022, Paramount announced that a spin-off set in Sydney, Australia had been ordered by Network 10 and Paramount+; Shane Brennan has been announced as the showrunner for the spin-off, which will be the first set outside of the United States.[3] [4] The series premiered in Australia on Paramount+ on November 10, 2023 and aired on Network 10 from May 15, 2024.[5] [6] It was also announced that in the United States, amid the suspension of other NCIS productions due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, the series would also begin airing on a delayed basis on CBS from November 14.[7] The series was available for streaming in selected territories internationally on Paramount+.[8] Its second season premiered on 7 February 2025.[9]
The cast is led by Olivia Swann and Todd Lasance, with Sean Sagar, Tuuli Narkle, Mavournee Hazel and William McInnes.[10]
See main article: ''NCIS: Origins''.
On January 5, 2024, it was announced that a spin-off and prequel series based on Leroy Jethro Gibbs's early days as an NCIS agent was in the works. Mark Harmon is set to reprise his role as Gibbs in a narrator role.[11] The series is set to air during the 2024–2025 season.[12]
On February 28, 2024, it was announced that Paramount+ had ordered another spin-off of NCIS focusing on Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo's characters Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David.[13] On May 7, 2024, the official Instagram for the NCIS franchise presented a call between Weatherly and de Pablo where the spin-off title was confirmed to be NCIS: Tony & Ziva.[14] Production began in June 2024 in Budapest.[15] [16] CBS Studios produces Tony & Ziva. John McNamara is the showrunner and executive produces with Weatherly, de Pablo, Laurie Lieser, Christina Strain, Shelley Meals and Mairzee Almas.[17]
It was cancelled after one season on December 19, 2025.
| Primary series | Character | Portrayed by | Appearances | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCIS | Los Angeles | New Orleans | Hawaiʻi | Sydney | Origins | Tony & Ziva | ||||
| NCIS | ||||||||||
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| Los Angeles | colspan="3" | |||||||||
| colspan="5" | ||||||||||
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| colspan="3" | ||||||||||
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| †| colspan="5" | |||||||||
| colspan="5" | ||||||||||
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| colspan="5" | ||||||||||
| New Orleans | colspan="4" | |||||||||
| colspan="4" | ||||||||||
| colspan="4" | ||||||||||
| colspan="4" | ||||||||||
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| Hawaiʻi | colspan="3" | |||||||||
| colspan="3" | ||||||||||
| colspan="3" | ||||||||||
| colspan="3" | ||||||||||
| colspan="3" | ||||||||||
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| Sydney | colspan="2" | |||||||||
| colspan="2" | ||||||||||
| colspan="2" | ||||||||||
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| Origins | ||||||||||
This is a complete list of crossovers, from only within the franchise (crossovers from other series, such as the franchises' backdoor pilot in JAG, are excluded). All characters, main, recurring, and shared guest stars, are credited.
| Series A | Series A episode title | Air date | Written by | Series B | Actors from series B appearing on series A | Crossover type | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCIS | "Legend (Part I)" | Shane Brennan | NCIS: Los Angeles | Chris O'Donnell, Daniela Ruah, Peter Cambor, LL Cool J, Barrett Foa, Brian Avers | Backdoor pilot | ||||
| "Legend (Part II)" | |||||||||
| "Endgame" | Gary Glasberg | Kelly Hu | Character appearance | ||||||
| "Crescent City (Part I)" | NCIS: New Orleans | Scott Bakula, Lucas Black, Zoe McLellan, C. C. H. Pounder | Backdoor pilot | ||||||
| "Crescent City (Part II)" | |||||||||
| "Sister City (Part I)" | Christopher J. Waild | Scott Bakula, Lucas Black, Zoe McLellan, Shalita Grant | Two-part episode | ||||||
| "Pandora's Box (Part I)" | Christopher J. Waild | Scott Bakula, Lucas Black | |||||||
| "Starting Over" | Margaret Rose Lester & Scott Williams | NCIS: Hawaiʻi | Vanessa Lachey | ||||||
| "The Brat Pack" | Katherine Beattie & Kimberly-Rose Wolter | Jason Antoon | Character appearance | ||||||
| "A Family Matter" | Scott Williams | Vanessa Lachey, Jason Antoon | Two-part episode | ||||||
| "Too Many Cooks"[18] | Christopher J. Walid | NCIS: Los Angeles | Chris O' Donnell, LL Cool J | Three-part episode | |||||
| NCIS: Hawaiʻi | Vanessa Lachey, Noah Mills | ||||||||
| "A Thousand Yards" | Diana Valentine | NCIS: Los Angeles | Daniela Ruah | Character appearance | |||||
| NCIS: Hawaiʻi | Vanessa Lachey | ||||||||
| NCIS: Los Angeles | "Identity" | Shane Brennan | NCIS | Rocky Carroll | Character appearance | ||||
| "Search and Destroy" | Gil Grant | ||||||||
| "Killshot" | Shane Brennan | Rocky Carroll, Pauley Perrette | |||||||
| "Pushback" | Rocky Carroll | ||||||||
| "Ambush" | Lindsay Sturman | ||||||||
| "Random on Purpose" | Speed Weed | Rocky Carroll, Pauley Perrette | |||||||
| "Hunted" | Corey Miller | Rocky Carroll | |||||||
| "Callen, G." | Shane Brennan | David Dayan Fisher | |||||||
| "Familia" | Rocky Carroll | ||||||||
| "Lange, H." | |||||||||
| "Praesidium" | Erin Broadhurst, R. Scott Gemmill | ||||||||
| "Blame It on Rio" | R. Scott Gemmill | Michael Weatherly | |||||||
| "A Long Time Coming" | Gary Cole, Wilmer Valderrama | Three-part episode | |||||||
| NCIS: Hawaiʻi | Vanessa Lachey, Yasmine Al-Bustami | ||||||||
| NCIS: New Orleans | "Musician Heal Thyself" | Jeffrey Lieber | NCIS | David McCallum | Character appearance | ||||
| "Carrier" | Gary Glasberg | Rocky Carroll, Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, Meredith Eaton | |||||||
| "Breaking Brig" | Laurie Arent | Rocky Carroll, Mark Harmon | |||||||
| "It Happened Last Night" | Jack Bernstein | Rocky Carroll, Joe Spano | |||||||
| "The Abyss" | Sam Humphrey | Diane Neal | |||||||
| "The Walking Dead" | David Appelbaum | ||||||||
| "Rock-A-Bye-Baby" | Jonathan I. Kidd, Sonya Winton | ||||||||
| "Touched by the Sun" | Laurie Arent | Leslie Hope | |||||||
| "Sister City, Part II" | Christopher Silber | Mark Harmon, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Emily Wickersham, Brian Dietzen | Two-part episode | ||||||
| "Pandora's Box, Part II" | Mark Harmon, Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama | ||||||||
| "See You Soon" | Mark Harmon | Character appearance | |||||||
| NCIS: Hawaiʻi | "T'N'T" | Christopher Silber & Megan Bacharach | Wilmer Valderrama, Gary Cole, Diona Reasonover, Katrina Law | Two-part episode | |||||
| "Prisoners' Dilemma" | Jan Nash & Christopher Silber | Wilmer Valderrama, Gary Cole, Brian Dietzen, Diona Reasonover, Katrina Law | |||||||
| "Deep Fake" | Christopher Silber | Gary Cole, Brian Dietzen | Three-part episode | ||||||
| NCIS: Los Angeles | Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J | ||||||||
| NCIS: Origins | "Enter Sandman" | Gina Lucita Monreal & David J. North | NCIS | Mark Harmon | Voice-over | ||||
| Series | Theme song | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| NCIS | "NCIS Theme" | ||
| NCIS: Los Angeles | "No Crew Is Superior" | ||
| NCIS: New Orleans | "Boom Boom" | ||
| NCIS: Sydney | "NCIS Theme" | ||
| NCIS: Origins | "NCIS Theme" | ||
NCIS, voted America's favorite television series in 2011,[19] finished its tenth season as the most-watched television series in the U.S. during 2012–13 U.S. network television season;[20] and is broadcast in over 200 territories worldwide.[21] As of the end of the 2014–15 U.S. network television season, NCIS remains TV's most watched drama series.[22] Spin-off NCIS: New Orleans ended its first season as the second most watched drama on CBS, and the fifth most watched series on TV. NCIS: Los Angeles ended its fifth season as the fourth most watched series on TV, and the second most watched drama.[23]
NCIS is a video game released in 2010 for iOS, published by GameHouse. It's a mix between a hidden object game and a mini-game collection.[24] Gamezebo said that NCIS is about exactly what you would expect from a licensed game on a mobile phone. It's quick, easy, and simple." AppSpy summarized: "Fans of the TV series may feel like they can get something out of this game, but from the corny lines to the poorly gathered evidence, NCIS: The Game from the TV Show is a game that's hard to recommend at all."[25]
See main article: NCIS (video game). NCIS is an adventure game developed by Ubisoft Shanghai and published by Ubisoft for Nintendo 3DS (as NCIS 3D), PlayStation 3, Wii, Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2011. It is based on the original NCIS TV series.
On September 15, 2016, Ubisoft launched a hidden-object mobile game titled NCIS: Hidden Crimes. Developed by Ubisoft Abu Dhabi (who also worked on CSI: Hidden Crimes) in conjunction with CBS Interactive, the game was released for Android & iOS devices.[26]
| Title | Episodes edited together | Air date | Runtime | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The NCIS Movie: Enemies | "Enemies Foreign" / "Enemies Domestic" | May 20, 2013 | 1 hr, 20 mins | [27] [28] | |
| The NCIS Movie: Judgement Day | "Judgment Day (Part I)" / "Judgment Day (Part II)" | June 10, 2013 | 1 hr, 40 mins | [29] | |
| The NCIS Movie: Legend (Legend Compilation)< | -- This is an alternate name on Channel Five's website --> | "Legend (Part I)" / "Legend (Part II)" | June 10, 2013 | 1 hr, 45 mins | [30] [31] |
| The NCIS Movie: Kill Ari | "Kill Ari (Part I)" / "Kill Ari (Part II)" | August 22, 2013 | 2 hrs | [32] [33] | |
| The NCIS Movie: War on Terror | "Engaged (Part I)" / "Engaged (Part II)" | February 1, 2014 | 1 hr, 20 mins | [34] | |
| The NCIS Movie: Payback | "Borderland" / "Patriot Down" / "Rule Fifty-One" | March 1, 2014 | 2 hrs, 35 mins | [35] | |
| The NCIS Movie: Shell Shock | "Shell Shock (Part I)" / "Shell Shock (Part II)" | April 11, 2014 | 1 hr, 30 mins | [36] | |
| Death Wish (Part I & II) | "Shabbat Shalom" / "Shiva" | April 16, 2014 (1) April 18, 2014 (2) | 1 hr, 40 mins | [37] [38] | |
| The NCIS Movie: Race Against Terror: Hiatus | "Hiatus (Part I)" / "Hiatus (Part II)" | 1 hr, 50 mins | [39] [40] |
In November 2012, CBS commissioned a pilot episode for a potential NCIS: Los Angeles spinoff titled NCIS: Red.[41] Written and produced by Shane Brennan, the series would follow "a mobile team of agents who live and work together as they go across the country to solve crimes". On February 6, 2013, John Corbett was cast as retired special agent Roy, the series male lead.[42] Earlier, Miguel Ferrer would join the cast as a series regular, and reprising his NCIS: Los Angeles role,[43] Edwin Hodge had been cast as Kai, an intelligence analyst,[44] Scott Grimes was cast as Dave,[45] Gillian Alexy was cast as Claire,[46] and Kim Raver was cast in the pilot, playing the lead role of Paris.[47] The pilot episode, titled "Red" and "Red-2", aired on March 19 and 26, 2013, during the fourth season of NCIS: Los Angeles. On May 15, 2013, CBS announced that the pilot would not be taken to series.[48] On May 21, 2013, CBS President Nina Tassler stated that "sometimes [spinoffs] work and sometimes they don't. Protecting [the franchise] was really important."[49] CBS was reportedly "open to redeveloping the pilot with a new cast attached", though a second franchise appearance by Scott Grimes in 2017 remains the only continuation of Red to date.
