Warning! The following contains spoilers for the NCIS episode "Speechless." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription, and read at your own risk!

The latest episode of NCIS was a special one for Katrina Law, as the Jessica Knight actress co-starred in it with her daughter. Law told CinemaBlend her kid knocked it out of the park, but she was ready from the moment it was suggested to shut it down if she wasn't ready.

I had a chance to speak to the actress ahead of the episode's airing on the 2026 TV schedule. Law explained that her daughter, Kinley Andreen, actually pitched the idea of coming on the show, so when an opportunity came up, she was asked about having her on. While she was thrilled to give her daughter a chance to be on the series, the actress explained she wanted her kid to earn it through an audition:

Things went well, and Andreen booked her debut acting appearance as Chloe in NCIS. I was, frankly, a bit surprised to learn it was her first time acting, because I would've assumed she'd been doing it a while based on her performance. However, she'd never done traditional acting outside of school play performances. Did we all just witness the beginning of a future A-lister's career in television?

Due to that lack of experience, Katrina Law said she wanted to have her daughter go through the audition process to see if she's up for the challenge, but told us she couldn't be prouder of how she did:

Law and her daughter also got to display their fluency in Mandarin after the agents were shocked to find the little girl they found was bilingual. It was quite an acting debut, which makes me all the more thankful she pulled it off.

Jessica Knight's run in Season 24 of NCIS is off to a slow start, but the seeds are being planted for her to have a larger role later this season. Her constant monitoring of Tony DiNozzo for Ziva screams that a future team-up is in the works, which I'm very excited to see.

As for what's next for her daughter, who knows where we'll see Kinley Andreen show up next? There's nothing wrong with being a nepo baby when it comes to Hollywood, especially if you have the talent to back it up. Maybe if NCIS can stay on the air another 20+ years, we'll see Andreen come back and play an agent on the series!

For now, I'm just content we have a solid block of NCIS to enjoy on Tuesday nights. Tune in to CBS on those nights for a healthy dose of nostalgia, as the lineup is loaded with classic NCIS actors.

Tony DiNozzo's return and subsequent promotion to Director of NCIS is the big story of Season 24. It was a surprising twist, and one that longtime fan and star Katrina Law told CinemaBlend she was amped for. It turns out she had a lot of questions about how Jessica Knight and Tony would interact, and she loved what the team came up with.

As NCIS continues its run on the 2026 TV schedule, I spoke to Law about the season thus far, as well as what we've seen. I talked about Michael Weatherly's big role in the new season, and she confirmed she was absolutely psyched to see the former vet of the show back in action:

While she might've preferred to see her buddy McGee get the job as NCIS director, Jessica Knight has found good footing with Tony thus far. Granted, she's basically playing spy for his wife Ziva, but that kind of leverage can go a long way toward keeping her in his good graces.

I also had to bring up that Knight mentioning on camera that she's in contact with Ziva sets the stage for Cote de Pablo's eventual return to NCIS as well. Katrina Law confirmed she's optimistic we'll see Ziva before too long, and there's going to be a lot of fun stuff happening with her and Knight:

She's been thinking about this team-up for a while, for the record, and I'm so excited for the day it finally happens. For now, she'll continue to solve crimes with her team and keep Tony on his toes with her occasional trolling of his eating habits.

Tony needs that so far, as he continues to look for ways to settle into his new role at the top of the NCIS team. He's tried to jump in and participate in the investigations, much to the chagrin of some of the agents. We'll see if he gets any better at taking a step back, letting them do their jobs, and watching from the sidelines and offering any support he can.

Being the director is not an easy job, and one that's filled with hazards. In fact, the past few NCIS directors have died, which may have fans sweating and wondering just how long Tony will sit in the role. Will he step away before he ends up in a body bag, or will he break the trend and end up staying at the top until retirement hits?

NCIS continues on CBS on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Tune in for more of the team as they track down the bad guys and get to know each other better. I'm excited for more interactions between Jessica and Tony, and that eventual team-up with Ziva that's on the way.

I’m new to the NCIS franchise. Even though the O.G. has been on since George W. Bush’s first term, I’ve only recently gotten into NCIS: New York. One of the reasons I decided to give it a go on the 2026 TV schedule was for Scott Caan. I was a big fan of Hawaii Five-0, especially the early seasons, and his character is great on it. In fact, my first dip into the NCIS universe was a Five-0 crossover with NCIS: Los Angeles. Despite appearing in that crossover, Caan isn’t reprising the role in NCIS: New York (as LL Cool J is). However, the character is pretty darn similar.

A New Show, A New Character

Caan played his Five-0 character, Danny “Danno” Williams, in that crossover episode, of course, but when he signed on to NCIS: New York, he did so in order to play a new character named Nick Schaeffer. I fully appreciate that Caan wants to avoid getting stuck in a rut playing Danny across franchises, but let’s be honest here: they are basically the same guy.

Both characters are cops from the Tri-State area. Danny’s backstory on Hawaii Five-0 was that he was a divorced police detective who had to move to Hawaii to be close to his ex-wife and daughter. Nick is an NCIS Special Agent from New York City. Now, people in both NY and NJ will tell you they are different culturally, but those nuances are lost on most of America. Both Danny and Nick have a bit of snark in everything they do; they are both tough as nails, and they are both completely loyal to their partners. LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna in NCIS: New York and Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) in Five-0.

So, again, basically the same character, but there are some fun differences. Danny was kind of a prick in the early seasons of Five-0. He wasn’t happy about living in Hawaii, he didn’t acclimate to the state's unique culture, and he was pretty much just grumpy about it all the time. He was snarky and prickly. Nick on NCIS: NY, on the other hand, is still a quippy partner who isn’t afraid to be honest with his team, but he’s a genuinely nice guy. He’s snarky, but he’s far from prickly. I’m into it.

Scott Caan is great at playing this kind of role, so I’m really happy to see him doing it again. This article isn’t meant to be any kind of indictment, indeed, quite the opposite. I may miss Danno on Hawaii Five-0, but having Nick in New York is great.

Procedurals, like NCIS: New York, for me, live or die on the strength of the cast. The stories are good, but they are like the hot dog when I’m really just looking for a vehicle for mustard. The characters are the mustard. The mustard is what makes hot dogs great, and it’s Caan, LL, and the rest of the cast, including Jennifer Beals, Jacqueline Byers, and Shane Harper, who are going to keep me tuning in week after week.

If you'd like to tune in week after week, you can catch new episodes of NCIS: New York on CBS every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET, and you can stream it the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.

NCIS’ guest star lineup over its 23-season run has been pretty incredible, and the guest stars are continuing to bring the action for Season 24 on the 2026 TV schedule. I’m always amazed over who has appeared on the long-running procedural, especially if it’s before they became households names. Since NCIS has over 500 episodes, it’s easy to forget who has been on the series. For example, it completely slipped my mind that Breaking Bad’s Matt Jones was on the show, and apparently, he really dropped the ball.

Jones was keeping busy during the early 2010s. While recurring as Jesse Pinkman’s friend and occasional meth dealer Brandon “Badger” Mayhew on Breaking Bad, Jones landed the role of NCIS Special Agent Ned Dorneget on NCIS in 2011 during Season 9. He was only in six episodes though 2015, but the character became endearing due to his sheer enthusiasm. Unfortunately, Dorneget’s life was cut short in Season 12 when he was killed in an explosion.

The death was unexpected and definitely heartbreaking, and I'm really surprised to learn that there’s no one to blame for it except for Jones himself. As the El Camino alum revealed on The Joe Vulpis Podcast:

Considering Jones was on Mom at the time and he stayed on the sitcom until 2019, it’s understandable that he’d want to step away from the drama series and go out with a bang. After all, the actor was of the belief that he just wouldn’t have any time to do both shows. Still, did he really have to suggest killing off Dorneget instead of having him reassigned to a different office?

I was really starting to love Dorneget before he was killed, and it makes me sad thinking about what could have been. Even over 10 years later, the decision still haunts Jones, which is understandable:

It does make me wonder what would have happened had Jones not gotten ahead of himself and suggested Dorneget’s death. On the one hand, it's possible that he could’ve stayed with the show in a recurring capacity as he continued his stint on Mom. However, it’s also possible that Dorneget could’ve become bigger fixture on NCIS. He was a great addition to the team and brought some hope to cases, and I think it's plausible that he could've become a series regular or gone on to star in a different spinoff. Unfortunately, we’ll never know.

Despite taking the easy way out, Jones has nothing but praise for NCIS, the cast and the crew. He compares it to other jobs he’s had, and points out just how fun the series was, which makes his departure even more heartbreaking:

It’s sad that Matt Jones asked to be written out of NCIS, but there really was no way of knowing how his schedule would work out. While Dorneget is dead and has been for over 10 years now, it would be fun to see him again in a dream or a flashback. Or perhaps, maybe this could be turned into another fake death scenario. CBS' long-running military drama is unpredictable, so you never know what could happen. For now, though, new episodes air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, streaming the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Season 3, Episode 4 of NCIS: Origins, “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription.

Season 3 of NCIS: Origins has been airing on the 2026 TV schedule, and it has been giving fans a treat: Mark Harmon. The actor is appearing in all 10 episodes, and he’s already reunited with two of his former agents. After Michael Weatherly guest-starred in last week’s episode, Emily Wickersham reunited with Harmon in this week’s episode. However, the reunion came with a devastating reveal, and the cast and I have similar feelings about it.

In Season 3, Episode 4, “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” Bishop meets with Gibbs in his basement after getting a call from Tony. While tracking the guy who shot Gibbs in Alaska, Bishop looks at a picture of a young Gibbs and Lala, wondering who the girl is. Gibbs tells her and admits she “died a long time ago” in a plane crash. Since the beginning of Origins, fans have been wondering what happened to Lala and why Gibbs hasn’t mentioned her until now. Well, now we know...

The truth of her whereabouts was a surprise, even though viewers have theorized that Lala was dead. That being said, it was still shocking to hear, and the cast feels the same way. Mariel Molino, who plays Lala, told TV Insider what it was like to hear her character’s doomed fate, and it’s going to stick with her for a long time:

Of course, there was no way of knowing what Lala’s fate was going to be or when and how they were going to reveal it. So I can only imagine how intense this table read was, as such a vital piece of tragic information was revealed.

Molino wasn’t the only one who was surprised. Despite knowing beforehand from conversations with showrunner David J. North that Lala “had to go away at some point because she’s never talked about in the future,” Austin Stowell, who plays young Gibbs, shared that the script still caught him off guard:

Since none of the team has been talked about by Gibbs until now, it’s hard to tell what happened to everyone. Now, even though we finally know what happened to Lala, some people aren’t really buying it. For instance, Franks actor Kyle Schmid called “bulls---” on the scenario. And honestly, I really hope he’s right:

Considering all that Lala’s been through and probably will go through, it’s definitely hard to believe that a plane crash would ultimately take her out. And Schmid makes some good points. Since Gibbs didn’t go into detail about what happened, it’s quite possible that Lala faked her death or Gibbs is hiding something. Or at least, that’s what I’m hoping is actually true.

Now, hopefully we’re getting closer to finding out what happened with Lala, even if the plane crash turns out to be real. Ultimately, NCIS: Origins is the story of her, as Gibbs revealed in the series premiere, so who knows what could come out of this. Fans will just have to keep watching on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS to see what comes next.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Season 3, Episode 4 of NCIS: Origins, “Shimmy Shimmy Ya." You can stream it now with a Paramount+ subscription.

The NCIS franchise continues to lean into the nostalgia on the 2026 TV schedule, and NCIS: Origins is no exception. Just a week after Mark Harmon and Michael Weatherly’s reunion on the prequel, Harmon reunited with another former NCIS agent. Emily Wickersham guest-starred in Tuesday’s episode, reprising her role as Ellie Bishop. While it was great for the fans, it was actually a weird moment for Wickersham, and that's partially because of the basement.

Wickersham joined NCIS in Season 11, following Cote de Pablo’s departure, and left at the end of Season 18. She briefly came back to the Mothership during Season 23, and now she’s back in the franchise for Origins. In the episode, “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” Bishop comes back to help Gibbs, who’s on the hunt for the person who shot him in Alaska. Their reunion happens in Gibbs’ basement in D.C., and it was a very weird full-circle moment for Wickersham, who told TV Insider:

I had no idea that, essentially, Wickersham’s first scene for NCIS was in Gibbs’ basement. And I love that her first one back with Harmon is in that same basement. It was so nice to see Gibbs and Bishop together again, especially since that basement was also the last place that the two of them were facing each other before she left.

For a while after Wickersham’s exit, many fans had been hoping for her to return, in whatever capacity. When she made an appearance in the Season 23 midseason finale in 2025, it was a pleasant surprise, even if Bishop was on the run. Seeing her reunite with her former team in the midseason premiere earlier this year definitely brought back memories, and her now reuniting with Gibbs after Tony called her, it’s almost as if nothing has changed.

Unlike Weatherly’s appearance on Origins, Wickersham won’t be a one-and-done on the prequel. Gibbs and Bishop found the location of the tracker who found him, as he’s been used by the CIA for years as one of its contractors. So the two will be heading off to Baltimore, and while it’s unknown just how many episodes she’ll be in, Wickersham did confirm it’ll be “a bunch.” That means there are going to be many more moments between Gibbs and Bishop to look forward to.

I cannot wait to see what happens next, and what we’ll learn about the things Gibbs and Bishop did during their time apart. I'm also excited to dive deeper into Gibbs’ past. Now, fans will just have to find out how they deal with the tracker in new episodes of NCIS: Origins on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS. Additionally, viewers can go back and watch all seasons of NCIS, including Wickersham’s seasons, on Paramount+.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from the NCIS episode "Like and Subscribe." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription, and read at your own risk!

NCIS dropped a deep-cut reference to an old television classic, but not before referencing it a handful of times in its latest episode. It was really confusing to this millennial, but not because The Greatest American Hero came out long before I was born.

A remake of The Greatest American Hero has never gotten off the ground, so I guess it's a good thing NCIS found a way to bring it to the 2026 TV schedule. It all ended with a massive reveal. As cool as it was, I wish it'd happened a whole lot sooner.

William Katt Popped Up At The End Of The Episode

With all The Greatest American Hero references, it would be a shame if its star, William Katt, was left out of the fun. Fortunately, he appeared at the end of the episode as a physician at a children's hospital. I'm not sure how many NCIS fans caught it, and how many had no idea who Katt was.

Suddenly, All The Random Nods To The Greatest American Hero Made Sense

When Katt finally popped up on screen, I could not describe the relief I felt. The entire episode kept referencing The Greatest American Hero, and I was running myself ragged trying to figure out how it connected.

Initially, I thought it was done to rope back in the older crowd, who might've tuned out once they realized NCIS was parodied something you'd witness in a MrBeast-type game show. I can understand if something like that would go over the heads of a crowd that doesn't frequent that side of YouTube, even if his content is seeping out into the mainstream.

The next thought I had was that maybe there were plans to do a reboot of The Greatest American Hero, but the only news I could find on that was very dated. Additionally, the series never aired on CBS, so I kind of threw up my hands and assumed this was just a random reference... until William Katt popped up on screen.

All this to say, my obsession with this mystery ended up distracting me throughout a bulk of the NCIS episode. Had Katt popped up earlier, I might've enjoyed the episode a bit more, rather than being outright confused as to why some twenty-something kid was so obsessed with a short-lived hero series that only ran for a couple of years in the early 80s. If he's like me, he may not have even known the show existed until Family Guy parodied it, which may be wild for some to read, but it's true! I guess not everything on NCIS has to be something I understand, but I just had to call this one out.

NCIS continues with new episodes on CBS on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. This season is pretty great so far, especially with Michael Weatherly's Tony playing such a big part. Here's hoping he doesn't suffer the same fate as other Directors!

Tony DiNozzo is still settling into his job as the new director of NCIS, with a lot of new faces still unsure about him. Katrina Law's Jessica Knight is one of those who doesn't know much about Michael Weatherly's character, and if she had her choice, she'd sooner see McGee take the role.

The actress revealed as much during a recent interview with TVInsider. When asked about how she thinks Knight responded to Tony becoming the new director, she gave her perspective on where her character's head is at as new episodes continue on the 2026 TV schedule:

Knight isn't one to rock the boat, outside of a few instances. I never expected her to grumble and shout about Tony DiNozzo taking over as director, but I certainly agree with Katrina Law. Knight would prefer to see McGee with the job. She knows what to expect from McGee because they've worked together for years, whereas Tony still has some unknowns.

The unknowns don't mean she's not willing to give him a shot. Law clarified where Knight stands when it comes to her new boss, and how Tony may just ultimately win her over even if McGee was her first choice:

Katrina Law is excited about Michael Weatherly being on NCIS, especially if it leads to Cote De Pablo returning as well. A Knight and Ziva pairing would be awesome, and we know they've been in contact, with her reporting on Tony's eating habits back to her.

I do wonder just how long Knight will have to deal with Tony in the job, because it feels like he's still struggling with the ins and outs of it. Busting the bad guys is easy for him, but dealing with office cakes in morgue coolers is not quite what he's used to.

Let's also remember that the director position at NCIS is a particularly perilous one. Tony got the job because Director Vance died, and others before him have died as well. Despite being a desk job for the most part, it feels like they have a higher death rate than the actual field agents!

I don't imagine NCIS brought back Michael Weatherly just to kill off Tony DiNozzo, but I do wonder just how long he'll stay in the director position. The previous Director actor Rocky Carroll spent years on the program, and I think there's hope among fans that Weatherly will do the same. I think it's a possibility, assuming CBS doesn't have plans for a Bull revival in the near future.

NCIS continues on CBS on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm loving Tony in the new job regardless of what anyone on the team thinks about it, though they all seem to be fans as well.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the NCIS episode "Sleeping Dogs." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription, and read at your own risk!

I expected some surprises when NCIS revealed Tony DiNozzo was the new director amid the 2026 TV schedule and beyond. However, I didn't expect any surprises to gross me out. After the latest episode, I felt my stomach churn when I learned where Jimmy Palmer was keeping the cakes for the multitude of birthday parties in the office, and I thought it was wild the show didn't make a bigger deal of it.

Apparently, Jimmy wasn't trying to take over Parker's role as the "sweets guy," but he attempted to bring back "office birthdays." Unfortunately, the effort quickly spiraled out of control, and when Tony found him in the morgue, he also found a litany of cakes stuffed in one of the mortuary cabinets. Take a look:

Tony told Jimmy that stashing the cakes in the cabinet was "all kinds of wrong" and even made a couple of references to The Great British Bake Off. I expected there to be more conversations about Jimmy storing birthday cakes right next to deceased bodies, but surprisingly, that didn't happen.

NCIS went in another direction, focusing more on Jimmy accidentally starting a fire by lighting birthday candles, rather than the entire office finding out they're eating cakes that have been chilled right next to murder victims. I felt like I was going to be sick, and that says a lot, given I know the show isn't real. On that note, though, I could only imagine how those characters felt!

I will cut the series some slack, as it had bigger fish to fry when Nick Torres thought an old contact was tied up in a murder. The episode ended with that friend being exonerated, and with Torres accepting an offer to do a side gig for the CIA. I certainly didn't expect that twist, and I'm wondering what this means for a potential relationship with Knight.

As for Jimmy, I don't think we can expect him to continue his pursuit of celebrating office birthdays. I do expect him to whip out a birthday cake for Ziva, however, should she drop by the office to check up on her husband. There's still no word on when Cote de Pablo will show up, but I can't help but think the NCIS producers have a plan for it. Let's just hope if she does ever receive a cake moving forward, it'll be stored properly.

Until then, I'm hooked on tuning into NCIS Tuesdays on CBS. With so much happening on the series and spinoffs, it will be interesting to watch how this action escalates once the crossovers start happening.

When you get two NCIS Gibbs together, you know it’s going to be a good conversation, but I never expected the conversation to go back to their (acting) origins. In hindsight, it seems rather obvious. Thanks to this back-and-forth I was gleefully able to pull some fun trivia that would have even Tony DiNozzo talking. Namely I just found out the absolutely ridiculous way Austin Stowell got his foot in the door in Hollywood before NCIS, and it has to do with an injury.

Mark Harmon’s return in NCIS: Origins is making the 2026 Fall TV schedule feel pretty special for long-time fans, but it’s also bringing up some fun topics between him and Stowell. The two sat down together on “Between Us,” a segment on CBS Mornings. They talked about everything from present day Gibbs to the similar paths that led them both into the acting industry. Then Stowell surprised even Harmon by casually dropping that it was a busted knee that led him to acting. Check out their conversation:

• Austin Stowell: It was football. I got caught up in a tackle. Uh, MCL and meniscus. So that was kinda the end of all that. I played a lot of baseball. I was a pitcher and it was my push-off leg, so I knew everything was changing.
• Mark Harmon: Why acting?
• Austin Stowell: I had always loved performing. That it was something that I felt lit me up. And there was a teacher in high school who encouraged me to follow that - Todd Lampson thanks very much.

While both got their start in sports, Harmon found his way from UCLA quarterback to seeing if he could follow in his Hollywood family’s shoes. His father was broadcaster Tom Harmon and his mother was actress Elyse Knox. This is a slightly different origin story compared to Stowell’s acting start.

After his injury, it was this teacher who told him, “You could really do this,” and he wasn’t wrong. This created a chain of events that Stowell almost said no to, and now he’s three seasons in as Gibbs (with just 20 more to go). This gave the actor preparation techniques so when he was cast in the role of younger Jethro, he would spend all day watching NCIS episodes and studying how Harmon brought the character for life. Now we know who to thank for this keen eye as Stowell gives his teacher another shout out:

I think we can agree that he’s filled Gibbs’ shoes well. Though this doesn’t mean we can’t be excited about Harmon’s return. And no, he’s not back because he’s disappointed in how Stowell’s handling the role. In fact, The actor is actually proud of how the show’s going. This will make the second return, as Harmon previously surprised fans with an appearance that proved that like Young Sheldon, you never know when characters from the present will pop up in the past.

Additionally, this isn’t the only return that has had fans hyped up. Michael Weatherly has returned to NCIS proper and seems to be sticking around after taking THAT position. Plus, Tony is set to reunite with Harmon in an upcoming October 20 episode of NCIS: Origins. Could this reunion be bigger than Ziva and Tony? This will be the first since the two have been together since their time on the original ship. Let’s not forget that LL Cool J has returned as Sam Hanna, trading LA for New York in the franchise’s newest spin-off.

It’s a good time to be a NCIS (and a Hawaii Five-O) fan. Though let’s hope that Stowell avoids injury in the upcoming season. We don’t want him to abandon ship just yet.

Warning! Slight spoilers ahead for Season 24, Episode 2 of NCIS, “Clean Slate.” You can stream it with a Paramount+ subscription.

NCIS is back on the 2026 TV schedule for Season 24, and so is Michael Weatherly. The actor returned to the Mothership as Tony DiNozzo 10 years after his departure and one year after the cancellation of NCIS: Tony & Ziva. So, with Tony back in D.C., many fans have been wondering if Cote de Pablo’s Ziva could make an appearance. Katrina Law is among the many wanting her to return, and I love her take on how it could go down.

While de Pablo left NCIS after Season 11, she had a brief arc in Seasons 16 and 17. However, Law didn’t officially join the series as Jessica Knight until the end of Season 18, meaning Ziva and Knight never actually crossed paths on-screen. Now, Law has come up with a way to make it happen. She told TV Insider how she would want the whole thing to go down, and I’m laughing just thinking about it:

Just seeing Knight and Ziva together would be incredible, and to add a little humor to it would be so much fun. The two of them together would make a force to be reckoned with, for both criminals and Tony.

As of now, it’s unknown if de Pablo could return to NCIS, but as the show explains it, Ziva is just a few hours away in Boston for a job, while their daughter Tali is at boarding school in the same city. So a return is possible, and after hearing Law’s idea, I need it now more than ever.

Even if we don’t get Knight and Ziva together in the near future, it’s been entertaining just seeing Knight and Tony interact. The latest episode of NCIS included a fun moment where Knight revealed that Ziva had called her to make sure Tony stays on his diet since he only listens to strong women because he’s scared of them. And she made sure to follow through on her promise, throwing away drinks and making sure Tony wasn’t eating anything unhealthy, which Law absolutely loved:

Now that Tony is the director of NCIS, we can likely expect many more entertaining interactions between him, Knight and the rest of the team, especially as he continues to settle into his new position. And even if Ziva doesn’t make an on-screen appearance any time soon, it wouldn’t be surprising if she’s calling Knight every once in a while to keep tabs on Tony.

NCIS’ 24^th season just started, so there is going to be a lot more to look forward to, and I’m excited to see what happens. I'm not just referring to my excitement for the cases, either, since this is a season-long arc for Tony, who knows what could go down.

Tune in on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS for new episodes of NCIS.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from the NCIS episode "Clean Slate." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription, and read at your own risk!

Michael Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo is the new Director of NCIS, but that doesn't mean he's always going to be sitting behind the desk. While Nick Torres and the rest of the team may take issue with Tony still playing agent, the new head told McGee (Sean Murray) it was necessary for him to "survive" the job. This all got wrapped up in a seemingly definitive way, and it could mean some good news for fans.

During NCIS' latest episode, McGee drew the short straw and had to be the person to confront Tony about his meddling in the latest case. While helpful, Tony's involvement forced the other agents to take a backseat while he drove, and Tony was aware of that. He also told McGee that he needs to be involved from time to time, as a way of blowing off steam:

So, with that, viewers should likely expect more of Michael Weatherly's Tony playing agent amid the 2026 TV schedule, which may be a good thing. After all, it's already been pointed out that the previous NCIS heads have all died, save for the recently fired Gabriel LaRoche (whose tenure in the position was brief). If Tony's not long for this world, it's best we get him doing the most in each episode we have him!

This all comes back to the question of whether Michael Weatherly is here on NCIS for a good time or a long time. While the position of Director could hypothetically allow Weatherly's character a spot on the show indefinitely, it also creates a commitment for the actor and bars him from opportunities elsewhere. Is Weatherly ready to commit to a supporting role on his former show, or does he have plans for a starring role elsewhere again?

We have no clue one way or another, but it is noteworthy that Weatherly and his character are part of a collaborative effort that's being put forth by all NCIS shows. There's a clear goal to create nostalgia with these castings, between Weatherly on NCIS, Mark Harmon playing Gibbs again on Origins, and LL Cool J's Sam Hanna leading the New York spinoff. If we see big ratings out of these returns, I'd expect all of them to stick around for a long time.

I also think it'd be pretty bold of NCIS to kill off Tony DiNozzo, but I also thought that when Director Vance died. While I'm not 100% ruling out it being done, I can guarantee there'd be some angry fans coming after the showrunners if they were to do it.

NCIS continues on CBS on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET amid the 2026 TV schedule. I'm really loving Tony's run as director so far as long as it lasts, and I'm hoping it lasts for a long time.

NCIS is officially in its 24^th season amid the 2026 TV schedule, with Michael Weatherly returning as Tony DiNozzo. Even though he’s returned to a pretty different atmo, there are still two people there that have been around practically since the beginning. Sean Murray and Brian Dietzen have both been on the show since Season 1 as Tim McGee and Jimmy Palmer, respectively. However, I had no idea that Mark Harmon and more helped Dietzen when he first joined.

Dietzen made his NCIS debut at the end of the first season back in 2004. Not only was the show slowly gaining an audience, but the JAG spinoff signified one of Dietzen’s first big roles. And it was not easy. The actor recalled joining the procedural During an episode of the NCIS: Partners & Probies podcast, Dietzen recalled having a lot of nerves for a while:

It’s definitely understandable, given the circumstances. He’s working with some very talented and well-known actors, he’s on a show that’s getting bigger and he probably didn’t know just how long he’d be remain on NCIS. I'd imagine that for an actor, joining a show that’s already established is like being the new kid in school. And, of course, with that, comes a level of pressure, because a lot of eyes can be on a new actor, as many seek to see what they can do.

And, in Dietzen's case, it's a really daunting task, considering that Jimmy has some pretty difficult dialogue to deliver, which is essentially "medical jargon." Dietzen recalled filming a Season 2 episode where Jimmy had to explain some things to the team. Co-creator Donald P. Bellisario sent down some new pages with two pages filled with nothing but medical-based text. And he didn’t have a lot of time to rehearse it, which added on to the nerves:

I love that both Harmon and Weatherly offered to help Dietzen, because I can imagine that having to learn two pages of medical jargon in under 15 minutes is not easy. By that point, Dietzen hadn’t even been on NCIS for a full season yet, so he was likely as nervous as ever to still prove that he had what it takes. And that’s exactly why Bellisario did what he did:

Harmon and Weatherly weren’t the only ones to offer support. Pauley Perrette had taken Dietzen’s lines and taped them to the bottom of the camera. And, on that first take, Dietzen didn’t miss a single line since he was looking at the script the entire time, and he impressed the director. And that was when Dietzen realized his castmates were not just his colleagues:

I’ve always wondered why actors stay on a show for so long and are willing to play the same character for more than a decade. In Dietzen’s case, I can certainly understand why he comes back every season. It’s clear that the NCIS is more like a family, and I love that it’s been like that since the very beginning. It makes me even sadder knowing that NCIS has had so many cast changes over the years, but at least the support seems to be present when someone is on the show. And, now with Weatherly back on the show, I’m hopeful that he and Dietzen are paying that kindness forward.

New episodes of NCIS air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.

The NCIS franchise is finally back on the 2026 TV schedule, and it’s better than ever. Tuesday night not only saw the season premieres of original and NCIS: Origins, but also the series premiere of new NCIS: New York. It also marked the return of some old fan favorites. Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, and LL Cool J are all back in the franchise, and I’m pleased to report that it was a smart idea.

Deadline reports that the NCIS franchise saw a 39% uptick in audience from last year’s Tuesday premiere, averaging 5.49 million viewers. This included Weatherly’s much-anticipated return to NCIS, which saw his character Tony DiNozzo getting a major job upgrade. The Season 24 premiere brought in 6.45 million viewers and is the series’ most-watched episode since the Season 21 finale in May 2024. That is a 21% increase year-over-year.

Meanwhile, LL Cool J’s return as Sam Hanna in the franchise’s newest spinoff also saw some pretty great numbers. The premiere of NCIS: New York reached 5.62 million viewers in the 9 p.m. hour, which is up 53% year-over-year in the time period over Origins, which occupied the timeslot during its first two seasons. It was pushed back to the 10 p.m. hour to give New York the NCIS launching pad. New York also stars Scott Caan, but instead of reprising his Hawaii Five-0 character, he plays a new character, NCIS Special Agent Nick Schaeffer, despite crossovers with NCIS: LA.

Last but certainly not least, NCIS: Origins also saw a rise in viewership from last season. The Season 3 premiere raked in 4.39 million viewers in the 10 p.m. hour, up 20% compared to its second season premiere in the 9 p.m. hour. It’s also up 56% from NCIS: Sydney’s premiere in the 10 p.m. slot last year. I’d take a good guess that it’s partly due to the fact that Harmon is once again portraying Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He’s made appearances in the first two seasons of Origins, but he’s set to be in all 10 episodes of the prequel’s third season, and fans are clearly happy.

Considering how nostalgic NCIS’ fall lineup is, I can understand why all three shows are doing so well. You have the return of three fan-favorite characters, two of whom have been around for over 20 years, and the other just kicked off a brand new series. It is really fun that all these returns are happening at the same time, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Clearly, CBS knew what it was doing.

The only thing that would make this even better is if a franchise alum were to return for NCIS: Sydney when the new season premieres early in 2027. However, you never know what could happen. Sydney has yet to have a proper crossover because of where it takes place and the show films in a different country, but it’s always possible. For now, catch NCIS, NCIS: New York, and NCIS: Origins Tuesdays on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. ET, or streaming with a Paramount+ subscription the next day.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for the Season 24 premiere of NCIS, streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription.

Tuesday’s premiere of NCIS’ 24^th season on the 2026 TV schedule marked the return of Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo. Less than a year after the cancellation of NCIS: Tony & Ziva, fans were pleasantly surprised to find out that Tony would be coming back to D.C. to expand his security company. However, as of the end of the premiere, we learned that’s not all that he’ll be up to, and now the showrunner’s comments have me really worried about his new job.

Ever since NCIS killed off Rocky Carroll’s Director Leon Vance in the 500th episode last season, many have been wondering who will replace him as NCIS Director, though after just being appointed, Gabriel LaRoche had been doing the job (poorly).

It was hard to tell who could step up to the plate and be a long-term solution for the team, but after helping with a case involving McGee’s long-lost son Mateo and the SECNAV’s kidnapped daughter, Tony was made Director. As excited as I am about this new development, showrunner Steven D. Binder just mentioned one problem with being the director to EW that now has me stressed out. Thanks Steve.

Fans will remember Season 5 of NCIS saw the death of Director Jenny Shepard (Lauren Holly), which eventually led to Vance stepping in. Even though Vance lasted 18 seasons, he was still shot multiple times throughout his run and lost his wife because of his job, before ultimately also getting killed off. Of course, Tony is no stranger to getting shot, either. That’s how we meet up with him again in the Season 24 premiere, but yeah, now that I'm thinking about, taking the job is dangerous indeed.

Still, over time Tony has gotten himself into quite a lot of near-death experiences, and it would be harsh for the show to bring him back and make him director just to kill him off. Maybe I'm foolish, but I'm not that worried about this season, though now I'm worried death or attempts at death may come down the line. NCIS can definitely be unpredictable, and I will always be worried about everyone on the show, but I’m going to try and stay optimistic that Tony will stick around as Director for a while.

When Weatherly went back to set of NCIS, many fans couldn’t stop theorizing that Tony would become the new Director. I’m glad these theories ended up being right, even if this means Tony's a higher target moving forward. NCIS is definitely in good hands, so let's bring on the near-death experiences.

There is going to be a lot to look forward to in this new season of NCIS, and I could not be happier that the show is back. New episodes air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming the next day on Paramount+.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the NCIS episode "Wayward Son." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!

NCIS bringing back Michael Weatherly as Tony DiNozzo for the Season 24 premiere was a given, but after watching this episode, I'm still shocked about how the whole thing played out. The CBS drama kept a sneaky surprise from us about the return, and it looks like the series plans to keep the character around for MUCH longer. The episode was also great TV and actually managed to fix one problem I've had with the show in one fell swoop.

But first, let's talk about DiNozzo getting shot in the opening minutes of the episode, and then things getting a lot better for him with that unexpected job promotion. Readers already knew from CinemaBlend's exclusive clip that Tony's D.C. branch for Salus Mondiale was off to a rough start.

Fortunately, it looks like he found a way to stay in the area without needing to run his own security branch, and that's as the new head of NCIS after Director Vance's passing. Surprise!

Tony DiNozzo Is The New NCIS Director, And Even He Was Surprised

Let me run what happened down. After DiNozzo helped the Navy Secretary, Helen Marsh, get her daughter back from a hostage situation, Marsh expressed regret that she hired Gabriel Laroche over her first choice (yes, Tony). He'd declined the job previously and was about to again, but Marsh was two steps ahead. She'd already learned that Ziva wanted him to take the job and put out a press release announcing his promotion, seemingly locking him in without his say-so.

This has now opened the door for Michael Weatherly to remain a part of the NCIS cast for the rest of the 2026 TV schedule, and beyond. Listen, we expected the character back on the show for at least a bit, but I can't emphasize how wild it is that both Weatherly and the rest of the cast kept this under their hats. Heck, they kept us talking about potential crossovers in the future!

For now, he's in a recurring role that can pop in and out of the team at will, which offers freedom for the writers to include him as much as he's willing. Director Vance actor Rocky Carroll appeared in 392 episodes across 18 seasons, so this could be a big role for Weatherly's TV future.

This Also Fixed My Biggest Problem: Gabriel Laroche

As happy as I am to see Tony DiNozzo in the role as Director of NCIS, I'm even more thrilled to see Gabriel Laroche is gone. His short-lived tenure as the new Director of the organization was chaos, and this case might not have worked out had the team not worked around his constant interference.

Laroche came in hot, fired Alden Parker, and had Tony, Nick, and McGee barred from the premises during the investigation. I was dreading a season in which the team was going to have to solve crimes while dealing with this wack job running the show, as it would've been a big distraction from the overall stories.

I will admit that he made for a great antagonist, and I'm wondering if NCIS will bring the character back in the future in another way. After all, this latest story arc has involved people close to the organization being blackmailed into delivering secrets on the organization, so we could see him come back into the story and be motivated by revenge against the team.

NCIS continues Season 24, with Tony in tow, on CBS on Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm hyped for how the character's new run as director will turn out, and if he'll be sticking around for future seasons.

The NCIS franchise is expanding amid the 2026 TV schedule with its newest entry, NCIS: New York. Filming on the spinoff kicked off over the summer in the Big Apple, with LL Cool J back as Special Agent Sam Hanna. The rapper has remained a staple in the franchise for two decades, and while he’s always down to return, I didn’t realize why he was especially pumped that his new series would be filmed in NYC.

New York is the birthplace of LL's character, but the rapper-turned-actor himself also grew up in the city. Additionally, it’s where his music career began when he was just a kid. So, at this point, the beloved entertainer is not only back in his old stomping grounds but also able to further develop a character he’s been playing for a while, which is pretty special. The two-time Grammy winner spoke to People about this full-circle in his career:

While some fans aren’t pumped about NCIS: New York because of previous cancellations, I love that LL Cool J is excited about the concept. He’s never been one to shy away from his roots and the city he came from, often expressing his love for NYC. It’s not so surprising that he jumped at the chance to do this latest spinoff. I knew Cool J had a desire to play Sam on a more regular basis again, but honestly, in my own excitement, I didn't even consider how important it would be for him to work in the Big Apple again.

As previously mentioned, Sam Hanna is originally from Brooklyn, so the new spinoff is a homecoming for him as well. He’s going to be leading a new team alongside his roguish partner, Nick Schaeffer (Scott Caan), and there is no telling what will go down. Hopefully, one of their bonding moments will include a Knicks game, because LL Cool J has made it clear that Sam is, understandably, a fan of the 2026 NBA champions, as the rapper himself is.

Meanwhile, LL Cool J isn’t the only NCIS star heading to New York. Brian Dietzen will appear in the premiere episode and reprise his role as Dr. Jimmy Palmer. As of now, it’s unknown if we’ll be seeing Dietzen on the spinoff beyond its pilot, but it’s not out of the question, per Cool J and showrunner Byron Balasco. Additionally, it's possible that more franchise veterans will appear onNew York. Still, the show is obviously still very early in its run, so it might be a while until fans get a full-blown crossover.

At the very least, I’m happy that Sam Hanna is back, and I’m even more thrilled knowing that LL Cool J is finally back home. I'm hoping that while he takes in the comforts of home, he and his collaborators will deliver yet another thrilling entry in this franchise. Don’t miss the premiere of NCIS: New York tonight, Tuesday, October 6 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, or stream it the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.

The NCIS franchise is expanding once again on the 2026 TV schedule with the newest spinoff, NCIS: New York. Premiering in a matter of days, the series will bring back LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna along with a new crop of NCIS Special Agents. Even though it has yet to premiere, fans already know about a small crossover. Franchise OG Brian Dietzen is set to appear in the premiere episode as Dr. Jimmy Palmer, but could we be getting more from him than just a one-off episode? LL and the EP are weighing in on the possibility.

Along with the report that Dietzen would appear in New York's premiere episode, it's also been said that the spinoff will bring in more franchise stars. It’s not so surprising, considering the amount of crossovers that have happened throughout the NCIS franchise in the last two decades. While it’s unknown whether Jimmy will be making his way to the Big Apple again after the debut episode, LL Cool J told TV Insider that he's down for it to happen following his latest experience working with Dietzen:

Sam and Jimmy’s paths have crossed numerous times, most recently in Season 23 of NCIS, so it’s going to be fun to see them together again in New York. Not only that, but it will probably be nice for Sam to see a familiar face. All in all, fans have seen that Sam and Jimmy make a pretty great team, even if they only work together briefly, and LL Cool J has a take on why the characters work so well together:

This is the great thing about franchises. You never know who could pop up on what show and for how long. Now that there’s another NCIS spinoff, there are even more opportunities for crossovers to happen. Of course, with NCIS filming in Los Angeles and New York shooting in NYC, that does make collaboration a bit more difficult. However, NY showrunner Byron Balasco is not counting out another Jimmy Palmer appearance and more:

I would love nothing more than for Dietzen to pop up on New York multiple times. Obviously, the show hasn't even aired yet, but I don't think my hopes are premature. It excites me that the spinoff's team sounds like they’re all interested in having Dietzen return to the series, but we’ll just have to see how everything shakes out. At the very least, NCIS and NCIS: New York are going to be paired on Tuesday nights all season, which should make for two exciting hours of TV!

Even if Dietzen doesn’t appear on NCIS: New York again any time soon, fans will be able to watch his appearance in the series premiere, which airs on Tuesday, October 6 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, following the Season 24 premiere of NCIS. Also, new episodes will be available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription the following day.

Tony DiNozzo is coming back on NCIS, but now we know he is struggling a bit to get his satellite office set up for Salus Mondiale in Washington, D.C. As seen in a new clip NCIS shared with CinemaBlend, we now know there was a problem getting his office ready, which means, at least in the short-term, he has to embrace the hilarious concept of "Quiet Tuesdays."

In the exclusive clip seen above, CinemaBlend has a first look at Michael Weatherly's return to the 2026 TV schedule. It seems like he's not a fan of the shared workspace, so I don't blame him for jumping at a chance to help out his friends at NCIS.

Why Is Tony DiNozzo Back In NCIS?

One of the major reasons Tony DiNozzo is back in NCIS has to be that fans love Michael Weatherly, but we've also been given real reasons for a return by the franchise itself. We've learned that Tony has set up a satellite office for the security firm he launched in the short-lived (but dearly missed)Tony & Ziva.

It's not lost on me that NCIS dealt with a security breach at the end of last season, which resulted in McGee's son being blackmailed to cooperate with them. It has me thinking we'll see Tony step in to help the team figure out the source of the leak and rub shoulders with some of the cast members who weren't around last time he was on the CBS series. It also makes me think this plan may have been in the works for quite some time.

NCIS Will Feature A Lot Of Returning Actors

We're ramping up to new episodes right now, and Tuesday nights on CBS will feature a lot of NCIS nostalgia, as other past stars dominate the evening. LL Cool J has moved from L.A. to the new New York spinoff, and Mark Harmon will appear on camera as Gibbs in Origins.

If you're someone who has followed NCIS for years, this will be a fall season to remember. We've also gotten teases there will be more stars popping up across these shows as well, which has me hopeful for Ziva to appear in a scene at some point. (It's be great even if it is for a fleeting moment).

As for what's on tap for the rest of Season 24, I'm eager to see how McGee responds to his son having pulled a gun on Nick. We've already learned that no one is going to die in this standoff, but a shot rang out that could reveal someone was injured. Did Nick get shot, or was he forced to shoot McGee's son?

Whatever goes down, it's sure to be an exciting season. Beyond the hacking situation, there's also the whole storyline in which Parker and Gibbs worked together off-camera to kill the man who murdered Director Vance. Vigilante justice is still illegal, and I can't help but wonder if Parker will face consequences for that should anything be uncovered in the investigation.

Get ready for some exciting television when NCIS returns to CBS on October 6th. Tony DiNozzo is back, and I don't want to miss a second of the action, so I have my calendar set!

NCIS: Tony & Ziva may have been canceled, but Michael Weatherly is not done playing Tony DiNozzo. Weatherly is set to return to the Mothership for its upcoming 24^th season and will appear in a season-long arc starting during the 2026 TV schedule. From a fan perspective, it’s so good to see the star back to work on NCIS. But, for Weatherly, there’s one weird thing that’s been happening to him since switching from T&Z.

Weatherly starred in the first 13 seasons of NCIS and was one of the original cast members from the JAG backdoor pilot. So you would think returning to his stomping grounds would be easy for him. However, after filming 10 episodes of NCIS: Tony & Ziva in Europe, he’s apparently looking at the Mothership a bit differently. Weatherly spoke to TV Insider about what it’s been like working with the Mothership's current cast. He also explained the T&Z crossover vibes he's been feeling:

I get where Weatherly is coming from. While he was on NCIS for 13 years, Tony & Ziva is the latest franchise installment he's done. So, when he gets back into Tony DiNozzo, he’s probably still feeling like he’s on the spinoff, even if it has been a year since filming it. What also doesn’t help is that there are more people in the Mothership's ensemble that that he hasn’t worked with. So there's a level of familiarity, there's also a layer of unfamiliarity for him.

That being said, despite feeling like he’s already in a mash-up of sorts, Weatherly would love nothing more than an actual crossover to happen. And it’s not with Tony & Ziva. He shared his hopes for Season 24 of NCIS and a team-up with the franchise’s newest leads, which I absolutely need to see:

Believe it or not, NCIS is already crossing over with NCIS: New York, as Brian Dietzen is set to appear on the upcoming spinoff. So I'd say an even bigger crossover is certainly possible. Weatherly had crossed over to NCIS: Los Angeles years ago, so it would be fun to see Tony and Sam reuniting. Unlike Origins and Sydney, both the OG show and New York have full seasons, so there is plenty of time for them to cross-pollinate, especially since Weatherly will be sticking around the Mothership for multiple episodes.

Regardless of the crossovers, I'm just pleased that Michael Weatherly is back on NCIS. It's been far too long since viewers saw Tony DiNozzo back at HQ, and I cannot wait to see what happens. The Season 24 premiere of NCIS airs on Tuesday, October 6 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.

Throughout NCIS’ 23-season run, the CBS procedural has seen a lot of cast exits. Such changes are natural for a show that has been on the air for so long, but it never gets any easier to say goodbye, especially when someone has been on the show since the very beginning. Mark Harmon departed NCIS early in Season 19 in 2021, and Gibbs’ final episode was pretty emotional, given he finally found peace in Alaska. Unsurprisingly, filming the episode was incredibly emotional -- until Harmon hilariously broke the ice.

By the time he left the show, Harmon was one of the only original NCIS cast members who'd been on the show since the very beginning. And I’m talking about the very beginning, with that two-part backdoor pilot on JAG. So it's understandable that his final episode would be emotional for the crew. Former NCIS writer/EP and NCIS: Origins co-creator David J. North appeared on the Partners & Probies podcast and spoke about filming Season 19, Episode 4, “Great Wide Open.” As part of that, he revealed how Harmon made sure the set was a bit lighter during the sad occasion:

I love when actors are able to still have fun while filming an emotional scene. Given that Harmon was filming a very heartfelt moment between Gibbs and McGee in which the former talked about his late wife and daughter, you’d think that even he would be in his feelings. But it’s great that he was still able to make light of everything, given the circumstances, and turn the crew's sobs into laughs. Of course, not everything was funny behind the scenes at the time.

When Harmon exited NCIS, producers felt it would be the death knell for the series, and creative decisions had to be made quickly. Cast member Gary Cole was baffled by Harmon’s exit, having previously revealed that there was no “definite plan” when Harmon left, and he felt that the entire thing was rushed. Still, it was fitting that Gibbs retired to Alaska and was able to find happiness after everything he'd been through.

Luckily, even with Harmon gone, though, NCIS is still going strong. The series is about to enter its 24^th season next month, which is wild to think about. Additionally, Harmon is going to be appearing as Gibbs in all 10 episodes of NCIS: Origins’ upcoming third season. He serves as executive producer and narrator and has appeared on-screen in a few episodes already. Yet, with him appearing in all episodes of the new season, we're seeing his most substantial role in the franchise in years.

Of course, it's unknown if Mark Harmon will ever return to the Mothership and, at present, his exit remains one of the more emotional points in the franchise's history. Fans can rewatch his final installment and all of his episodes with a Paramount+ subscription. New seasons of NCIS and NCIS: Origins premiere on Tuesday, October 6, on CBS.

Nearly three months have passed since Michael Weatherly's return as NCIS' Tony DiNozzo was first revealed, and we're so very close to finally seeing it play out when the Season 24 premiere hits the 2026 TV schedule. Though he won't be sharing scenes with former co-stars Mark Harmon or Cote de Pablo, the actor brought both of the franchise faves when explaining why now was the right time to bring Tony back to the mothership.

Speaking with TVInsider, Weatherly pointed out the first point of reasoning for Tony's return aligns with CBS' nostalgic approach with its other two Tuesday-night offerings bringing former leads back into the fold in major ways. In the Bull vet's words:

No matter how many NCIS spinoffs are crafted into existence the near future, Mark Harmon will always be one of the first things people think of when the franchise comes up. Understandable, since he can boast the bonkers stat that he's been part of 475 episodes as Leroy Gibbs. Then you have LL Cool J, who has portrayed Sam Hanna for more than 325 episodes across multiple franchise entries, and is now set to head up the latest offshoot, NCIS: New York.

Which isn't to take shots at NCIS leads Gary Cole, Wilmer Valderrama, Katrina Law or anyone else who joined the show after Michael Weatherly left. But it does make sense that producers would want to inject another longtimer into the mix. Plus, it's kinda fun to see Weatherly sharing the screen with the characters who only joined after DiNozzo jumped ship.

Michael Weatherly's second reason for why now is the best time for Tony to make his way back to the Washington D.C. squad. And it all has to do with what the character has lived through in the interim, particularly when it comes to his overseas adventures with his significant other and his daughter.

I'm excited to see what the connective tissue will be between Tony & Ziva and the character's return here. But for all that Tony is a more mature and professional agent now, I can't imagine he'll be totally stone-faced and free from hijinks throughout Season 24. Somebody's head needs to get smacked here.

We already know that NCIS: New York will be bringing flagship star Brian Dietzen over for Jimmy Palmer to mix it up with Sam and Scott Caan's Nick Schaeffer. Is it possible that Michael Weatherly will be one of the other guest stars planned for its first season.

NCIS will be back for its 24th season premiere on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.

NCIS: New York is coming to the 2026 TV schedule, and we've since learned that NCIS actor Brian Dietzen will be in the premiere. That's not all, however, as CinemaBlend recently learned that other "familiar faces" will certainly pop up.

During a CBS press event promoting the network's Fall TV slate, CinemaBlend's Nick Venable had the chance to ask showrunner Byron Balasco about upcoming cameos in the new series and got a refreshingly honest answer. While it's not going to be the priority of NCIS: New York to bring in as many guest stars as possible, we can expect it to happen:

It would be strange for NCIS: New York to shy away from cameos right out of the gate, considering every other franchise show is adding a nostalgic player to the mix. Michael Weatherly will return as Tony DiNozzo in the flagship series, and Mark Harmon will reprise his role as Gibbs in flash-forwards in NCIS: Origins.

As for other actors who may show up, the showrunner didn't give any specifics beyond Dietzen. That said, I've seen NCIS' Diona Reasonover wish to be involved, and I'm sure other actors from the series will pop up. I want to see Nick Torres team up with Sam again, personally, as they're both the ultimate force when it comes to taking down the bad guys.

Also, let's not forget that LL Cool J's character was on NCIS: Los Angeles first, which opens the door for those characters to show up. I know there's a small army of fans who would love to see Eric Christian Olsen's Deeks show up again, as well as Chris O'Donnell and Daniela Ruah.

Of course, it's also important for NCIS: New York to establish its new core cast. Guest stars are always fun, but at the end of the day, the success of this show is going to hinge on the people we're guaranteed to see every week, and the mysteries they'll uncover in the Big Apple. It's the city that never sleeps, so I'm sure there's going to be no shortage of great stories to uncover.

I am curious to see how LL Cool J and Scott Caan work as a duo, especially with the latter being a primetime fixture but not part of the NCIS family. I'm sure Caan's time on Hawaii Five-0 will make this a smooth transition, as crime procedurals hit a lot of the same beats even if they don't share the same premise.

Catch the premiere of NCIS: New York on Tuesday, October 6th. I'm excited to see how the fans react to this new show, and if it can have as long of a run as some of the most-celebrated spinoffs of the crime series.

NCIS: New York makes its debut on the 2026 TV schedule on October 6th, and we now know LL Cool J's Sam Hanna won't be the only familiar face we see. One NCIS character will visit the Big Apple in the premiere, as Brian Dietzen announced that Jimmy Palmer is slated for the pilot.

It's a shame this couldn't be a surprise, but I get the new series wanting to give everyone watching the Season 24 premiere of NCIS a reason to stick around for the debut. I know some fans were upset to hear about this spinoff happening, but Dietzen hyping it up on Instagram is sure to change some hearts and minds. Take a look:

He's bullish on NCIS: New York, but it's not like they make actors do these posts to say negative things about the show. The main takeaway here is that Jimmy is going to be a part of the spinoff, which means his patented humor and genius will be available to Sam's team in this opening episode.

This appearance will likely revisit Sam's brief stint in NCIS Season 23, in which he first showed up to lay the groundwork for his spinoff. Jimmy and Sam teamed up, and the former confessed he planned to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro. Sam was proud of Jimmy for taking on something so big and encouraged him to share it with his coworkers, despite his fear that they might judge him for it.

I'm excited for Brian Dietzen, though a bit bummed for Diona Reasonover. The actress who plays Kasie on NCIS has been quite vocal about wanting to join the fun on NCIS: New York, but it sounds as though she won't be in the pilot. Of course, there's always an opportunity for her to pop up in a future episode, so we'll have to wait and see.

This is a big year for NCIS in general, as Michael Weatherly recently pointed out how many past alumni are headed back to the franchise. He's going to be in the Season 24 premiere of NCIS; we already know Sam Hanna is back in the New York spinoff, and Mark Harmon will return in Origins. Basically, if you're a fan of the franchise, you're going to want to make sure your Tuesday nights are wide open for the foreseeable future.

As mentioned, the fun all kicks off on CBS on October 6th, with NCIS at 8 pm ET, NCIS: New York at 9 pm ET, and NCIS: Origins at 10 pm ET. It's a late night for some, but fortunately, we live in a world in which DVR is commonplace!

NCIS will return to the 2026 TV schedule on Tuesday, October 6th, and it's bringing a big dose of nostalgia along with it. Granted, I hadn't really thought about it until Michael Weatherly brought it up and pointed out that we have returning alumni from past CBS shows appearing this season.

Weatherly, who will return as Tony DiNozzo in NCIS Season 24, is not the only familiar face we'll be seeing on Tuesday nights this fall. He laid it all out in a recent interview with TV Insider and pointed out all the legendary talent coming to primetime if you're a fan of long-running crime procedurals:

I've been writing about LL Cool J's big NCIS: New York debut and Mark Harmon appearing in NCIS: Origins all summer, but I never put this together. Each series has at least one former NCIS icon back in the saddle, so no matter which you watch, it's going to feel like a throwback.

It's not just a reunion for NCIS either, as Scott Caan will also star in NCIS: New York after his long stint in Hawaii Five-0. This Fall season feels like a love letter to longtime fans of CBS primetime, and I'm curious how many people have just set aside their entire Tuesday evening to watch it all. My guess is CBS executives are banking on people watching all night, which feels like a distinct possibility with this all-star lineup.

To speak specifically to Michael Weatherly's return as Tony DiNozzo, NCIS will waste no time getting him back in the mix. He's pictured in images for the Season 24 premiere, which will address the wild cliffhanger in which McGee's son pulled a gun on Nick Torres. I'm curious to see what Tony will have to say about all that, and how he'll factor into the adventure.

NCIS has already given fans some information on what to expect, and they may want to fire up their Paramount+ subscription. NCIS: Tony & Ziva will be acknowledged in the series, with the adventure being set about a year before DiNozzo sets up his security firm in Washington, D.C., in Season 24 of NCIS. That experience, paired with becoming a father and years of experience as an agent, will give us a more mature Tony than what we saw in previous seasons.

As mentioned, NCIS kicks off on CBS in early October, followed by the new New York spinoff and Origins as well. I can hardly contain my excitement as the weeks wind down, so it's a good thing there's plenty of other fall television popping up that's worth watching!

NCIS Season 24 will be coming soon on the 2026 TV schedule, and the excitement is palpable. That's because Michael Weatherly is set to return as Tony DiNozzo for at least a chunk of the new season following the cancellation of NCIS: Tony & Ziva on Paramount Plus. Unfortunately, he will be without his better half when he comes back. Not to worry, though, as we finally have an update on Ziva’s whereabouts.

When fans last saw Tony (and Ziva) in the season finale of the spinoff last year, the former NCIS agents had just gotten back together after a tumultuous ride, raising their daughter, Tali, together. Now, when Tony returns for NCIS, he will be in DC to expand his private security company until a case draws him back to the orange walls of the organization.

In the CBS series, he will be flying solo, but executive producer Steven D. Binder told TV Insider that the couple’s relationship is still being tested in the upcoming season. Namely, "can they be together without killing each other?" Stay tuned:

As a fan of Tiva, I was more than happy when a spinoff focusing on the two characters was announced, and was even more devastated when it was canceled. I had hoped that when Weatherly was announced to be returning for NCIS, Cote de Pablo wouldn’t be too far behind. It sounds like there aren’t any plans to bring her on just yet, but I am curious to see where things stand between her and Tony following the events of the spinoff.

Of course, Tony and Ziva’s relationship has been a roller coaster ever since Ziva was introduced in Season 3. That roller coaster continued in the spinoff, and it seemed like they were finally in a good place in the finale. With Ziva and Tali apparently just a few hours away when Tony’s in DC, hopefully we’ll be seeing them again. If anything, it also sounds like we’ll be getting plenty of updates on where the characters are at.

Meanwhile, even though we now know he will be in DC to expand his security company, fans were theorizing what else could be bringing Tony back into the fold. Since NCIS has yet to bring in someone to replace Rocky Carroll’s Director Leon Vance, some people have been wondering if Tony will be stepping into those shoes. I would be more than happy if he returned full-time AND became the new NCIS Director. That might be a stretch since he seems content with his security company, but a girl can dream.

Luckily, fans won’t have to wait too long to see what Tony is up to. The Season 24 premiere of NCIS airs on Tuesday, October 6 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming the next day with a Paramount+ subscription, where coincidentally, you can always catch up on Tony & Ziva, as well.

Jimmy Kimmel made his return to late night last night, and as I hedged prior to its airing, his monologue was all over the comings and goings of President Donald Trump. He spoke of the war in Iran, the whole algae mess with the Lincoln Memorial and more. However, it was this first thing out of his mouth upon Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s return that had me shook: The show also hit a milestone episode last night.

Not that we would have known it if Kimmel hadn’t shouted it to the rooftops. When long-running shows like NCIS – which hit its 500th episode this year – hit major milestones, there’s usually a lot of lead-up and press in advance. That didn't happen in this case, and I was surprised when Kimmel kicked off with the announcement, but it makes sense.

Jimmy Kimmel’s been a late night host for the same number of years as NCIS, actually, with both premiering in 2003. Of course, late night produces a lot more episodes every year, even with the show taken hiatuses from time to time. Here’s what Kimmel had to say about hitting 4,000.

That’s a big number, and one that would have been worth celebrating no matter what. Yet, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has faced a large number of headwinds on the 2026 TV schedule and over the past year or so. The FCC’s been all over ABC and shows like Live! and The View and putting pressure on them in recent months. For its part, ABC has done work to push back on the current administration and maintain the intellectual freedom of its programs.

Despite this, in the last year Kimmel himself was suspended for a time before he saw his fellow late night series The Late Show wiped from existence. In the aftermath, Kimmel himself has admitted he feels late night has been “poisoned.”

So it’s salient the show was even airing last night, much less that the late night host cracked jokes about the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, and sarcastically joked about all the things that changed over the summer.

These are the moments that have garnered most of the headlines this morning, and you can see his full comments, below.

President Trump has made it clear he’s not a fan of the late night genre, though he didn’t have much to say when Jimmy Kimmel returned to the airwaves last night. He has previously made comments about being shocked “ABC gave Kimmel his job back” after the suspension, calling the late night host “not funny” and hoping he’d “rot in his bad ratings.”

Meanwhile, Jimmy Kimmel’s ratings have actually been up since The Late Show with Stephen Colbert went off the airwaves. The loss of CBS’ program has been good news for both of the Jimmys, actually, but particularly Kimmel, who tends to take more of a political bent than Fallon. We'll have to wait and see how this week's episodes fare.

Kimmel ended his monologue joking about Trump’s low polling rates and the upcoming midterm elections, but it’s just him being here to hit that 4,000th episode milestone that’s sticking with me the most.

When NCIS: New York was announced and it was revealed that LL Cool J would be back as Sam Hanna, it was hard not to wonder whether Scott Caan would be playing a new character or reprising his role as Danny Williams from Hawaii Five-0. Ironically, the universes haven’t just crossed over; Sam has worked with Danny before. However, that will not be happening in this new spinoff that's about to premiere on the 2026 TV schedule. Instead, Caan will be playing a brand new character, and he explained why.

Now, Caan returning to CBS to play Danny Williams wasn’t totally out of the question. According to LL Cool J, it was actually “considered.” That makes sense too, because in 2012, Hawaii Five-0 and NCIS: LA crossed over. Therefore, it’s not like Danny’s return would have been coming out of nowhere, there’s history. However, apparently, Caan wanted a “fresh, clean start,” according to the Sam actor. Explaining that point further to EW, Caan said:

That certainly makes sense. Caan was on Hawaii Five-0 for ten seasons. Between 2010 and 2020, he starred in 240 episodes of Five-0 (which you can stream with a Paramount+ subscription). While it’s fun to return to certain characters, I see why he wanted to start fresh in the NCIS universe – which, to be fair, he’d only spent one episode in as Danny Williams.

So, with that being said, allow me to introduce you to Nick Schaeffer. That’s Scott Caan’s character in NCIS: New York, and he’ll be Sam’s new partner in the city that never sleeps. Per the report, the two characters will hit it off right away when Sam finds himself in the Big Apple. Based on the trailer, it looks like they work well together but also bicker like brothers. Honestly, it sounds like a match made in heaven.

Despite not wanting to reprise his role as Danny in NCIS: New York, Caan was thrilled about the series overall. In fact, he gushed about the spinoff and explained why saying yes to it was a “no-brainer”:

Now, while Caan was all for a fresh start, LL Cool J is in the opposite boat. He played Sam Hanna in 323 episodes of NCIS: LA, which ended after 14 seasons in 2023, and he’s reprised his role in various episodes of NCIS and NCIS: Hawai’i. He’ll be back leading an NCIS show with New York, and he explained that he keeps returning to play Sam because he’s “a really cool character.”

Overall, I think this mix of old and new will make this new series, which premieres on CBS on Tuesday, October 6 at 9 p.m. ET, even better. I love that LL Cool J is returning as a character we know and love. I’m also super excited to be introduced to a whole new team, including Scott Caan’s character. And overall, it looks like they’re all having a blast creating this new NCIS series.

However, I can’t help but wonder if the resemblance between Nick Schaeffer and Danny Williams will come up, because they do look a whole lot alike…

Mark Harmon may have left NCIS five years ago, but he’s remained attached to the franchise since then. He serves as executive producer and narrator on NCIS: Origins and has reprised his role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on a few occasions for the prequel. Ahead of his much-anticipated return to Origins on the 2026 TV schedule, NCIS just dropped a sick stat about Harmon playing Gibbs that’s blowing my mind.

Fans first met Gibbs in the two-part backdoor pilot on JAG in 2003, and he has been a staple in the franchise since then. Now that he’ll be returning for Origins’ entire upcoming season, fans are as excited as ever for his comeback. To get viewers excited, the official NCIS Instagram shared some fun facts about the beloved character, and just seeing exactly how many episodes he’s been in is blowing my mind:

Playing the same character for 475 episodes across three shows is definitely impressive. Of course, there are a couple actors in the NCISverse who have been in more, but it’s still mind blowing. That being said, Harmon starring in the first 18 seasons of NCIS and appearing on Origins, his episode count was sure to be high. However, seeing the actual number makes it all the more real.

Now Harmon will be adding to that number this fall. As previously mentioned, he is set to return on-screen as Gibbs for the upcoming third season of NCIS: Origins. Unlike the first two seasons, he will be appearing in all episodes of Season 3, which will consist of just 10 episodes. According to Deadline, ghosts from Gibbs’ past will come to the surface, interrupting his peaceful retirement in Alaska. It’s going to be exciting to see Gibbs on-screen more this season rather than just narrating, and there’s no telling what will be in store.

Whether or not Harmon will ever return to the Mothership is unknown. Gibbs seems to be pretty content in Alaska. If anything, NCIS has occasionally brought Gibbs back into the fold by name-dropping him or referencing an old case, etc. And if we can’t get him on the Mothership, his appearances on the prequel definitely make up for it. Plus, since he’s so close to 500 episodes, I can only imagine that he’d want to keep it going until he reaches the milestone, whichever show he does it for.

For now, fans will be able to look forward to Mark Harmon adding to his incredible NCIS episode count when he appears in all 10 episodes of NCIS: Origins Season 3. The season premiere will be on Tuesday, October 6 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS, following the series premiere of NCIS: New York. All seasons of NCIS and Origins are streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, so fans can get all the Gibbs content they need beforehand.

LL Cool J has been part of the NCIS franchise for well over a decade. He starred as Special Agent Sam Hanna on NCIS: Los Angeles for 14 seasons and then immediately jumped over to NCIS: Hawai’i as a recurring guest star. Since Hawai’i, the rapper has appeared in a few episodes of the Mothership series. Now, he’s starring in another spinoff, NCIS: New York, premiering this fall amid the 2026 TV schedule. LL just recently explained why he's played Sam for so long and, as a fan, I love his take.

Before NCIS: New York was announced, it was hard to say wheheter LL Cool J would ever make a permanent return to the franchise or if he would just keep making guest appearances. So the new spinoff was a pleasant surprise. In a recent interview with TV Insider, LL (whose real name is James Todd Smith) was asked what he enjoys about Sam that keeps bringing him back, and I absolutely love his answer:

That’s the great thing about doing a show like NCIS. An actor can take on the role of a hero, saving lives and putting themselves in harm's way. Overall, a performer is getting the chance to step into the shoes of someone who's completely different from them. Of course, I think LL Cool J is a pretty cool person, but Sam Hanna definitely brings the action. Also, there are so many stories that can still be told about Sam. No matter how long he’s been playing this character, LL will seemingly never get tired of it:

Someone may be tempted to think that after an actor plays the same character for 14 years, the first opportunity you have to step away from the role, you’d take it. However, I'm thankful that LL Cool J immediately went to NCIS: Hawai’i after LA ended, and he’s been on a roll since. I cannot wait to see Sam Hanna regularly again once New York premieres, and I hope the show continues to build on him as a character.

Given LL Cool J has remained a staple of the NCIS franchise for almost two decades, fans may be comforted to know he has no plans to leave any time soon. Of course, it’s hard to tell how NCIS: New York will go but, either way, it seems fans still have plenty of time to spend with Sam.

Luckily, fans won’t have to wait too long for NCIS: New York. The upcoming spinoff is set to premiere on Tuesday, October 6 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, following the Season 24 premiere of NCIS. Episodes will also be available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription on Wednesdays after the show premieres.

The 2026 TV schedule is heating up, with the NCIS franchise officially returning next month. Along with new seasons of the Mothership, NCIS: Origins, and NCIS: Sydney, CBS will be airing a brand new spinoff, NCIS: New York. LL Cool J will be reprising his beloved NCIS: Los Angeles role as Special Agent Sam Hanna, but could there be other NCIS: LA characters joining him in the Big Apple? Both the rapper and his fellow co-star Scott Caan had a cryptic response when asked who should cameo, and now I have an idea.

LL Cool J And Scott Caan’s Cryptic Response

There have been plenty of crossovers across the NCIS franchise over the years. It can be assumed that NCIS: New York will have a crossover or two, even if it’s not right away. But that doesn’t mean that the stars aren’t already thinking about who could come and play. While speaking with TV Insider, LL Cool J and Caan were asked if there was anyone in the franchise they hope to have on the new series. The two have ideas, but unfortunately, they’re not saying anything:

• LL Cool J: I mean, we’re gonna leave it open. I have someone in mind, but I’m not gonna say who.
• Scott Caan: I do too.

I hate that they’re both being so secretive about their choices, and I can’t tell if it’s because they don’t want to get fans excited if it doesn’t happen or if it’s already in motion. Even if there isn’t any crossover any time soon on New York, the show is still going to be great, but you can’t help but hope for the inevitable. If anything, it seems like the doors are open for anyone to come on, as LL Cool J pointed out:

Since the door is open to just about anyone on NCIS, who knows who could swing by. It would be fun to see LL Cool J and Caan’s characters interact with other NCIS favorites. As of now, nothing has been confirmed as to who could be appearing on the new show, and what crossovers could be happening. But I have some ideas.

Who I Need To See On NCIS: New York

Considering the amount of characters that have appeared on the NCIS shows, it’s hard to narrow it down to just one. At the very least, I would love for Sam to reunite with some of his OSP buddies. Aside from Daniela Ruah’s brief appearance in the franchise’s 1,000^th episode, LL Cool J is the only NCIS: LA character who has consistently continued to appear since the show ended in 2023. It would be fun to see more NCIS: LA characters, even if it’s not long.

Unfortunately, it might be hard to get Sam’s former partner in the Big Apple. Chris O’Donnell, who starred as G. Callen, is busy running a firehouse on 9-1-1: Nashville. Eric Christian Olsen, meanwhile, may not be playing Deeks anytime soon, but he’s serving as a new executive producer on NCIS: Origins. So it's not as bad.

Meanwhile, an NCIS star is already hoping to appear, with Diona Reasonover throwing her hat into the ring. What would get Kaisie Hines to go to New York is unknown, but that would be a fun crossover, especially after she and Sam worked together during his last appearance.

Whatever happens, I just need someone from the NCIS franchise to make an appearance on NCIS: New York. If and when that happens remains to be seen. At the very least, the newest NCIS series will premiere on Tuesday, October 6 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.

NCIS is still more than going strong over two decades after its debut, and it doesn't seem to be slowing up. The series is gearing up for its 24^th season, which is set to hit the 2026 TV schedule, and there’s a lot to look forward to. For instance, there's Michael Weatherly’s much-anticipated return as Tony DiNozzo as well as the resolution of Season 23's cliffhanger. It’s not all drama, though, as I can’t stop laughing over the reason Parker has beef with Jimmy.

CBS has released the NCIS Season 24 trailer, and it has everything. There's drama, mystery and action but, of course, there are some light-hearted moments sprinkled in as well. NCIS can definitely be a comedy when it wants to be, and fans get their first taste of what Season 24 has to offer in the new trailer. But the moment between Jimmy (Brian Dietzen) and Parker (Gary Cole) is just sweet (no pun intended).

The trailer kicks off with Jimmy happily arriving at work with some delectable treats, celebrating a “new era” at NCIS. He’s brought cake for the whole gang and offers some to Parker. Unfortunately, Parker declines, and in his most serious tone, tells Jimmy that he’s the “sweets guy.” And that makes Jimmy shut right up. Check it out:

Parker has brought the team a handful of sweets throughout his time on the show, and I never knew that he took the job so seriously. What makes the moment between him and Jimmy even wilder is that the team can't even enjoy the cake because they have to deal with a dead body in a Navy hangar. It’s almost as if that’s Jimmy’s karma for bringing sweets when he shouldn’t have. And, if the rest of the humor this season is anything like that small scene, then I'm ready to see how this plays out.

Meanwhile, the trailer also gives fans a look at Tony’s return and, even though he’s now “Very Special Not Agent Anthony DiNozzo,” it’s like nothing has changed (including the very orange walls). I’m excited to see his dynamics with the rest of the team, since he hasn’t worked with any of them aside from McGee and Jimmy. Overall, though, I just know that the sight of those three together again will be like Heaven for this fan.

Just seeing the Season 24 trailer makes me so excited for these new episodes of NCIS. I just hope that these next several weeks go by quickly. I'm eager to see all the drama play out, and that includes this potentially burgeoning desert feud between Jimmy and Parker.

NCIS Season 24 premieres on Tuesday, October 6 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, and will stream the next day with a Paramount+ subscription. All episodes of the show are also streamable on that platform, so fans can catch up while waiting for the new season.

The NCIS franchise is giving fans all kinds of returns when the various dramas hit the 2026 TV schedule this fall, with Michael Weatherly back on the flagship, LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna heading up the coast for NCIS: New York, and Mark Harmon returning to a full season of on-screen appearances in NCIS: Origins. Someone who knows more than anyone about both returns and jumping from one show to the next? Director Dennis Smith.

Starting with JAG (which he helmed seven installments of), Smith went on to direct 63 eps of NCIS proper, 37 eps of NCIS: Los Angeles, and two each for NOLA and Tony & Ziva spinoffs. (Outside of plenty of other series.) It’s been a while since he got behind the camera for the mothership series, but he stopped by the podcast Partners & Probies to talk to stars Brian Dietzen and Diana Reasonover about his prolific career, and offered a bit of hope for an eventual return. (More on that shortly.)

Smith shared the story behind his most recent NCIS gig, Season 15’s “Burden of Proof,” which came more than a year after he helmed Season 13’s “Homefront” and thought he was more or less done with that show for a while. And it might have happened if not for those meddling kids…er, I mean if not for that the show’s very influential star and executive producer. As Smith put it (via YouTube):

For a sense of how frequently he worked on the show, Smith directed at least three (and upwards of seven) episodes a season for the first 13. So when he stepped back, it didn't seem like he intended to return, and apparently was not expecting any such calls about going back. To the point where he reacted with a bit of gruff attitude when asked about it. He continued:

Had anyone else requested Dennis Smith by name to fill in during a time of need, who knows if he would have been convinced to do it? But when the main man himself puts the call out, its easy to understand why Smith agreed.

And what do you know? Mark Harmon isn't on the main stage anymore, but it may not even require his direct request to bring the director back. Smith said when he popped by the studio to reunite with everyone surrounding the NCIS franchise's 1000th episode, he chatted up Steven J. Binder and they discussed possibly getting him back to tackle at least one episode in the near future. It doesn't sound like he's got plans to hit up New York just yet, but he definitely continued helming eps of Los Angeles and Tony & Ziva after his last flagship effort.

Fans won’t have to wait too much longer to see Mark Harmon back in Gibbs mode, as NCIS: Origins Season 3 will premiere on CBS on Tuesday, October 6, at 10:00 p.m. ET, two hours after NCIS’ Season 24 debut at 8:00 p.m. ET, and right after NCIS: New York’s series premiere at 9:00 p.m. ET. All three shows’ episodes will be available to stream the next day via Paramount+ subscription.

NCIS' return to the 2026 TV schedule will be exciting for a few reasons, but mainly because a big star is set to return. Michael Weatherly will pop back in the mix as Tony DiNozzo, and after plenty of teases, we finally know why he'll return.

Michael Weatherly hinted at what's to come at Comic-Con Midlands, but could only say so much at the time. While he couldn't get into specifics, the one thing he made clear was that his spinoff Tony & Ziva won't be erased in this big return:

The actor has continued to emphasize the Paramount+ series, although cancelled, is still worth watching because it will tie into Season 24 of NCIS. As for how much, we can only wait and see, but I think it's a positive sign that the actor is a fan of what is to come.

On the heels of that, a new pic of Tony was shared over at EW. With its arrival comes new details on the character from showrunner Steven Binder. Following the conclusion of the Paramount+ spinoff, here's a little more concrete detail what Tony is up to when Season 24 premieres on CBS:

Just in case you forgot, or haven't watched the other series, Salus Mondiale is the security company the couple started in NCIS: Tony & Ziva. As we've heard from Michael Weatherly and others, there will be some crossover between one adventure series and the other. Not that I think anyone should be surprised by that, as the spinoff was totally in line with the franchise, and there should be some fan crossover as well.

However, if you do want to catch up, now's a great time. NCIS: Tony & Ziva is still available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription,

To note, Binder went on to talk about Michael Weatherly returning to NCIS as Tony, and spoke about how great it was to see the character back in the flagship series. Fans can expect to see the character they know and love, but who is a bit different from when they last saw him.

Season 24 of NCIS likely won't be the season where Tony DiNozzo is working with the team nonstop, as there are plenty of other arcs to handle. There's a pretty big Season 23 cliffhanger to resolve. Gary Cole has teased that Alden Parker may not be done skirting the law as he did last season, and I'd love to see Tony be a part of that.

What I'll be most eager to see is how NCIS fans respond to the return, and if it results in Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo having a bigger presence in future seasons of the series or other spinoffs. I'm just glad to see these actors get a chance to tell more stories, especially after their spinoff was canceled.

NCIS returns to CBS on October 6th. I can't wait to see the crime shows back on network TV this fall, as my summer has been pretty light on crime and punishment.

Mark Harmon is returning as Gibbs on the 2026 TV schedule, with live-action appearances as his beloved character on NCIS: Origins. As we prepare for the character's return to the CBS spinoff, I couldn't help but laugh at this interview in which Harmon shared the "funny" way Gibbs changed.

As fans freak out about the return and ogle new images of the veteran actor, I'm reminded of when he talked to ET about returning for the role a while back. He laughed at his current role as the series' narrator, noting that Gibbs was prided on his quiet demeanor on the original NCIS:

While he hadn't appeared on-camera on NCIS: Origins, Mark Harmon has served as the series' narrator for its first two seasons. As mentioned, it's a funny job to give the character, considering he wasn't known for speaking a ton on NCIS and was known for having a quiet intensity. He's also known for having a bunch of rules, which has me wondering if one of them includes not saying much.

Mark Harmon's appearance on NCIS: Origins comes after the character made an offscreen appearance on NCIS and helped Alden Parker kill Director Vance's murderer. Gibbs then presumably returned home to Alaska, or off to whatever adventure we're about to see in NCIS: Origins.

I feel like it's relevant to bring up Gibbs' last mention in NCIS, because reintroducing the elder version of the character in Origins feels like an easy way to establish a crossover special. It'll be cool to see if that happens, and how a mystery from the past could play into something in the present day.

Of course, just because the old Gibbs is coming to NCIS: Origins doesn't mean the new one is going anywhere. Austin Stowell might've passed on the idea of playing the character initially, but he's still the star and will continue to tell stories from the character's early days. Stowell even got some tips from Tom Cruise to ensure he's able to do action roles as he ages, and I couldn't think of a better person to give advice on that.

As for what's ahead in NCIS: Origins Season 3, we saw the previous season end with Gibbs sharing a kiss with Lala. In addition to seeing that relationship grow, we'll undoubtedly see more adventures from the character prior to the events of the original series, and maybe learn some new things we hadn't previously known about.

Check out the initial preview video below!

Catch the Season 3 premiere of NCIS: Origins on CBS on October 6th. I'll be tuning in to hear Mark Harmon narrate and run around for what should be another great season of heart-pounding action and double the Gibbs fun.

NCIS is returning to the 2026 TV schedule in a matter of weeks and, while there’s a lot to look forward to, there is still one thing on everyone’s mind. The Season 23 finale ended on a cliffhanger that left viewers questioning whether or not Wilmer Valderrama’s Nick Torres is still alive. It would be harsh to kill him off after the series shockingly killed Rocky Carroll’s Leon Vance in the 500^th episode earlier this year. The episode was tough to watch, and Carroll watched it in a room full of people -- and had one concern as he did so.

Director Vance sacrificed himself in order to save NCIS. It was heartbreaking and emotional, and it even included a reunion with young Ducky before Vance was ushered through the white light to be reunited with his late wife. Of course, given it was the 500^th episode, it was bound to be surprising, and you don’t get any more surprising than a character death. However, Carroll was unsure how everything would turn out, as he told The Hollywood Reporter:

Very rarely is an NCIS episode boring, in my opinion. Yes, there have been episodes where not a lot happens, more often than not, they are still pretty entertaining. Luckily, for Carroll, as he soon noticed, the 500^th episode was definitely entertaining on top of being heartbreaking. There was not a boring moment at all. I can only imagine how intimidating it can be watching an episode like that in a room full of people, especially during an event like aSAG screening. Ultimately, he had nothing to worry about.

The notion of the episode being boring wasn't the concern Carroll had. He previously shared that he had a knee-jerk response to finding out that Vance was going to die. The veteran actor was surprised that it was so definitive, and he only found that out two episodes before they filmed it. I’m still mourning Vance’s death so many months later, but it’s possible Carroll could come back via a dream or an hallucination.

On that note, the show has yet to reveal permanent replacement for Director Vance and, at this point, it’s unclear who it could be. It’s also unclear when a decision could be made, whether it’s a permanent replacement or a character who is only acting director until a new one is chosen. Whoever the new director is, it’s going to be hard to get used to, since Carroll was on the series for 18 years. At the very least, his final episode was far from boring.

Fans can watch the 500^th episode of NCIS and all seasons of the long-running procedural now with a Paramount+ subscription. Season 24 is set to premiere on Tuesday, October 6 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. And it will surely be anything but boring.

NCIS: Origins is headed back to the 2026 TV schedule for Season 3, meaning Austin Stowell is back in the saddle once again as Gibbs. What's wild, however, is that the actor recently admitted he said "no" to playing the legendary NCIS character at first, and it all stemmed from a worry that surprised me.

While I'd think many actors would revel in the opportunity to follow in Mark Harmon's footsteps and be the next Gibbs, Stowell had doubts. The actor was a guest on NCIS' Partners & Probies podcast and got into why he immediately turned down the opportunity when it was sent to him:

Stowell was afraid of committing to network television for various reasons. It makes sense, considering any television show can have tension between cast members, who all have to put that aside and continue filming for months at a time. Even NCIS has had to deal with that kind of drama, so I have to say Stowell's concern was valid.

Obviously, he ended up doing NCIS: Origins, so what turned things around? The persistence of its co-showrunners, who Austin Stowell revealed were able to get him on a call:

I can't help but laugh at the fact that Austin Stowell initially backed out of NCIS: Origins because he was afraid of commitment, and now openly says he's single because he's married to a television show. Maybe there's a deeper fear there of commitment in general, but what do I know as a random entertainment reporter?

In any case, Stowell has gotten the stamp of approval as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And the actor appreciates getting the opportunity to play such a beloved and storied character, even if he was apprehensive about joining television as opposed to movies.

NCIS: Origins has a big season coming up, with Mark Harmon joining the series to reprise his role as Gibbs. The character was briefly mentioned in Season 23 of NCIS, but Harmon did not appear on-screen as his character.

Fortunately, he's confirmed to be on-screen in every episode of Season 3 of NCIS: Origins. I'm intrigued by his return, as we've learned that the story will jump between the present day and the 1990s.

With the CBS franchise bridging the gap between NCIS and Origins, I have to wonder if this will lead to some sort of crossover between the flagship show and its prequel spinoff, and bringing back Harmon as Gibbs was the only way to make it happen. In any case, it'll be fun to see this season all the same.

NCIS: Origins will premiere Season 3 on CBS on October 6th. Catch up on previous episodes right now with a Paramount+ subscription, and see how Austin Stowell plays the role compared to Harmon.

The NCIS franchise is returning this fall on the 2026 TV schedule, with a new show in tow. LL Cool J will once again be returning as Special Agent Sam Hanna for the upcoming spinoff, NCIS: New York. This will mark his third NCIS series appearance since NCIS: Los Angeles ended in 2023. And he has a surprising reason for always coming back.

On the heels of NCIS: LA’s finale, the rapper joined NCIS: Hawai’i’s third season in a recurring guest spot. Then earlier this year, he returned to the Mothership, appearing in a two-episode arc. It was hard to tell if he'd ever portray Sam Hanna again on a more permanent basis, but it surprisingly didn’t take long for CBS to formally announce NCIS: New York. The actor/rapper is now in his 17^th year of playing Sam, and still loves it, telling Deadline what brought him back for this new round, and why he's still as enthusiastic as ever:

It’s going to be fun seeing Sam in this new environment. Of course, while it’s new for the fans, it’s not new to him since he is from New York. We’ve seen him in Los Angeles, in Hawaii, overseas for several cases, and in D.C. Having him in a New York setting with a new partner and new team should be fun. It definitely keeps things fresh for someone who has played the same character for nearly two decades in mostly west-coast locations.

The stories and the context are not the only reason why LL Cool J constantly comes back to Sam Hanna. He genuinely enjoys the character and the kind of person Sam is. Knowing that LL Cool J loves the role so much that he’s up for basically anything, as long as the story makes sense, just makes it all the better:

Filming for NCIS: New York has started, and I am as excited as ever to see Sam Hanna again. While the spinoff already has some haters and passionate fans of previously canceled NCIS spinoffs, the hype is certainly there. It’s hard to tell how this new show will go, especially since the only looks we’ve gotten are behind-the-scenes photos and videos. The wait will be worth it, though, and at the very least, we’ll be reuniting with a beloved character very soon.

Fans won’t have to wait too much longer for Sam Hanna’s permanent return to the NCIS franchise. NCIS: New York will officially premiere on Tuesday, October 6 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming the next day with a Paramount+ subscription. I cannot wait to see what happens and how this new show will do compared to its predecessors.

NCIS will come back to the 2026 TV schedule in the fall, and while we wait, the people who made it iconic are sharing some of the show's biggest secrets. Now we're getting the story behind the reason the show freezes frame and fades to grey before a commercial break.

Pull up any episode of NCIS with a Paramount+ subscription, and you'll see these in an episode. Did you know it had a name and how that name came about? Let's get into the history of the "foof" as explained by producer Charles Floyd Johnson.

Who Created The Foof?

"Foof" is an odd name, but it's fitting once you learn the context of it. Johnson explained the origin to FoundationInterviews, and how calling it a foof is oddly perfect:

I never even questioned it until now, but now that I know the sound is meant to mimic an old flash photography bulb, it makes perfect sense. Of course, now I feel as though I'm going to frequently imagine there's some hobbyist photographer following the team off-camera, and choosing the most dramatic times to snap a photo.

And so it became tradition in NCIS, with some of the other favorite spinoffs adapting their own twist on it. While modern shows like NCIS: Origins have not adapted the long-running trend, it remains a staple we'll no doubt see continue when the Season 24 premiere resolves that wild cliffhanger.

How Did Actors Respond To Foofs?

While the "foof" ultimately became a staple in NCIS, there was obviously a period of time in which creatives and actors had to be among the first to adapt to it. Fortunately, Charles Floyd Johnson said it didn't take long for the talent to get with the program:

I can see, having had it explained, how the "foof" is an attractive feature for actors. It's a badge of honor in NCIS to get included in that freeze frame, and you can tell actors do their best to make a serious face that will resonate with the viewer until after the commercial break.

It's wild to think, in hindsight, how one unique decision to put an endcap on scenes could have such an impact. Granted, it's not like NCIS started a trend that all crime procedurals now follow, but it's had a lasting legacy on the show and is a beloved part of its bones.

As mentioned, NCIS is set to return in the fall, and it's going to be a big premiere. Season 23 ended with a tense stand-off between Nick Torres and McGee's son, as the latter pointed a gun at the agent. Showrunner Steven D. Binder already confirmed that no one is going to die in that exchange, but obviously there's going to be some fallout that characters will have to deal with.

I can't wait to see how it all unfolds, and what "foofs" I'll end up remembering when NCIS returns to CBS. I'm sure we'll be getting one with Michael Weatherly, given the hype around his return, but who else will get those honored slots in each episode?

Throughout its 23-season run, NCIS has had a lot of surprising moments. And that probably won’t stop with Season 24 on the 2026 TV schedule, especially with the way Season 23 ended. One of the most surprising moments, however, happened during the show’s early years when it killed off Sasha Alexander’s Caitlin Todd. For Michael Weatherly, though, filming the scene had an unexpected side effect.

Alexander starred in the first two seasons of NCIS as NCIS Special Agent Caitlin Todd before the character was killed off in the final seconds of the Season 2 finale. She was shot in the head at the hands of Mossad double-agent Ari Haswari, who fans later learn was Ziva David’s half-brother. The death came pretty quickly, with the bullet and blood coming instantly. Special effects supervisor Dan Gaspar Jr. shared on the NCIS: Partners & Probies podcast just how they pulled it off:

That one filming choice may have looked cool on camera, but it had an impact on Michael Weatherly due to the blood that would soon splatter on his face. The scene in question has Caitlin, Tony, and Gibbs standing on a rooftop together and talking, with Tony standing directly behind Caitlin. When she was killed, it came as both a surprise and not too much of a surprise for those who watched Weatherly closely, as star and podcast co-host Brian Dietzen shared:

Of course, when you first watch the Season 2 finale and that scene, you don’t think anything of it because you’re thinking that everyone’s safe. The finale is almost over; Caitlin was shot, but her vest protected her. And then she gets shot in the head. It was a surprising moment, but when you look back at the scene, it's an amusing Easter Egg as you can very clearly and hilariously see Weatherly bracing himself for the impact. And to hear another side of what happened is pretty great.

Weatherly previously shared his side of the story about filming the scene, revealing he was waiting for the blood pack at the back of Alexander’s head to explode and he could see the special effects coordinator right in front of him. So he was just waiting for it to splatter all over his face, which is why he flinched just seconds before Caitlin was shot.

I do wonder if there are any other moments throughout NCIS, or even any other show, where an actor is anticipating a death, explosion, or anything similar before it happens because they know what’s going to happen and what’s going to be going on their faces. The fact that Weatherly’s flinch is still a topic of conversation 21 years after the episode aired is hilarious. And fans can rewatch it with a Paramount+ subscription along with all 23 seasons of NCIS now.

When the 2026 Fall TV schedule arrives, NCIS fans may be inclined to think that CBS attained access to a time machine, with Mark Harmon returning in full for NCIS: Origins, Michael Weatherly reprising Tony DiNozzo on NCIS proper, and LL Cool J bringing Sam Hannah back for NCIS: New York. These are magical times indeed, and all now we have our first look at present-day Leroy Gibbs in Season 3, which has sparked some fun reactions from fans.

CBS shared the entirely too-quick promo on social media, giving fans a quick juxtaposition between Mark Harmon’s Gibbs and Austin Stowell’s younger iteration from the early ‘90s. Check it out below!

It's not a ton, but no complaints! We get to see Gibbs jotting away in his notebook, no doubt coming up with a rule about the proper way to craft S'Mores over an open flame, or even something actually relevant to the storyline. He's also still wearing the Titus Bait & Tackle hat that he donned in his final NCIS episode back in Season 19, which ties everything together nicely.

Harmon, who has served as narrator for NCIS: Origins since its debut, will appear on screen in every episode of the third season, for a present-day mystery that ties back to his Camp Pendleton days in the '90s. It's promised to be an action-packed story, and one that could potentially lead to more from Gibbs in the future, depending on how everything goes.

It seems like everything is going pret-ty good for this fan that clarified their dual reasoning for being a fan of the actor.

Classic Instagram fan behavior, that. It's like, why even bring Harmon's 40-year-old Playgirl appearance into the conversation if it isn't the #1 reason for being a fan. It's like saying I'm a fan of Coca Cola for the color of the can, but I like the taste more. Or maybe it's not like that, since soda isn't an adult entertainment mag. (No matter how many attempts I put forth with that specific alchemy.)

For further context, Harmon appeared in Playgirl back in 1986, bolstered by his run as St. Elsewhere's Dr. Robert Caldwell, as well as being named People's Sexiest Man Alive in January of the same year. Perhaps as a way to hyperbolize People's title, Playgirl dubbed the actor "Mr. Perfect," and his stardom only grew with the release of Summer School the next year.

Back to NCIS: Origins, though, where Franks and Gibbs could conceivably stumble across a copy of that Playgirl issue. One of the other more noteworthy reactions to the first-look promo came from NCIS: L.A. vet Eric Christian Olsen, the newly installed executive producer on the prequel drama. He simply wrote:

Now let's highlight some of the other hyped-up comments.

• Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs - @liz_h3
• The way I missed this man on the show (even if it's just origins) is unreal 😂😂 - @drawings.ncisandmore
• I've missed LJG - @tonyhlfc
• My guy 🙌 - @Aubriver
• Cannot wait! My hero!! - @onpointskillz_
• Oooooohhhhhh I can’t wait ❤️ - @caribare

Here's hoping the first full-length trailer for NCIS: Origins Season 3 will give us more to gnaw on as far as what the current-day mystery is. As well as a few looks at any other characters Mark Harmon might be interacting with on screen, assuming he's not doing all his investigating from in front of a campfire.

NCIS: Origins will return to CBS for Season 3 on October 6, 2026, with episodes streaming via Paramount+ subscription the next day.

Special Agent Sam Hanna is coming back to lead the upcoming NCIS spinoff, NCIS: New York, and I couldn't be more excited. The latest series in the long-running franchise is set to make its debut on the 2026 TV schedule in October. LL Cool J will be reprising his fan-favorite role from NCIS: Los Angeles, and to hype the fans up even more, he and the crew celebrated the start of filming with a sweet BTS video.

Production kicked off on NCIS: New York in July, so already, the excitement is high. Not everyone is pumped about the new spinoff due to previous NCIS cancellations, but this show is undoubtedly a thrilling addition to the universe. So, to add to the anticipation, the official NCIS Instagram shared a fun video of LL Cool J, Scott Caan, and the rest of the cast and crew in action:

Considering NCIS: New York came as a total surprise when it was announced, getting footage from the set was extra thrilling. Of course, I’m definitely itching for an actual promo that gives us insight into what will happen on this show. However, this little peek is still wonderful. Plus, there is just something about seeing Caan and LL Cool J back on CBS that is making me very nostalgic.

Of course, LL Cool J has been back on the network numerous times since NCIS: LA ended. He was a recurring guest star on NCIS: Hawai’i and recently appeared in two episodes of NCIS. Now, it'll be amazing to see him in every single episode of his own show. Plus, honestly, it felt like it was only a matter of time before he returned to the franchise on a full-time basis.

In NCIS: New York, Sam will be returning to his hometown of New York City to NCIS’ field office, where he partners with Caan’s roguish NCIS Special Agent Nick Schaeffer. Sam will help lead a new team as they are tasked with high-stakes missions to defend one of the most vital cities and ports in the world. Along with LL Cool J and Caan, the cast also includes Jennifer Beals, Jacqueline Byers, Shane Harper, and Devin Druid.

With NCIS: New York only two months away, it shouldn’t be long until these BTS videos turn into official promo clips from the show. Hopefully, a trailer is released soon, but at the very least, knowing that the show is filming is keeping me pumped. And it's always fun to get a peek behind the curtain at how they make the series within this beloved franchise.

Now, the countdown is truly on, because NCIS: New York will premiere on Tuesday, October 6 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.

Summer's been a blast, but it won't be long until the 2026 TV schedule brings back fall shows and crime procedural action via NCIS. CBS is hyping up the return of Season 24 with some photos from the set, which are sweet. However, fans are pretty miffed about the type of donuts seen on a table.

Yes, it appears the fall TV season can't come soon enough, as NCIS fans are latching on to any and all details they can about the upcoming episodes. Before we get into the details of why people are up in arms, take a look at the photo below and see if you can figure out why there are comments about those pastries:

I'm an NCIS fan, but even I didn't clock the reason for the outrage immediately. However, bigger fans than myself seemed to notice the detail right way. Alden Parker is a morning pastries connoisseur, and many seem to think he wouldn't simply bring in something as basic as glazed donuts:

• Parker would never bring in plain donuts, this is an outrage. - clubgcole
• Yeah, but Parker wouldn’t do plain donuts - gianna_a76
• We all know who brought the donuts 😂- jessicascenes
• No, Parker. Morning pastries [are] his thing - jessicascenes
• Too boring, let Parker bring the pastries, he is the best. - lamarche_am_
• Parker's desk 😂😂😂 - drawings.ncisandmore

I guess that's true, but let's try to remember a few things. To start, we have no idea who brought these pastries. It's possible that these donuts were brought by returning agent Tony DiNozzo, who will reappear on NCIS in Season 24. Michael Weatherly's character wouldn't know that it's Parker who traditionally brings in sweets, so this could be his doing!

Another possibility is that Parker is distracted as NCIS heads into Season 24. Fans do know, after all, that he was responsible for the death of Director Vance's killer and set up the circumstances for Gibbs to take him out. Gary Cole hinted that Parker breaking bad could unlock a side of him that fans haven't seen, and maybe that slippery slope starts with uninspired pastry choices.

The final possibility is that it's just not that deep. Those donuts could be for the crew, who are all hard at work filming all the fallout from that Season 23 cliffhanger that we've already had slightly spoiled. Showrunner Steven D. Binder already confirmed that while the season ended with Torres in an armed showdown with McGee's son, no one is going to die in this exchange. That's important, because we heard a shot ring out into the night. However, viewers never saw who fired, or who was shot.

What I have glimpsed are scenes of Nick Torres running around and fighting crime on CBS adverts promoting the new season. So I'm inclined to say he'll be back on the job pretty quickly even if he is injured. Either that, or he shot McGee's kid, and I can only imagine how awkward things could be between them in Season 24. Maybe he's the one who bought the pastries as a way to apologize?

Jokes aside, I remain thrilled for NCIS' return, which is coming back to CBS in October. The return of fall TV is rapidly approaching and, as much as I love summer, I can't wait to get all cozy with the cooling weather and watch one of my favorite crime shows. For now, catch up on episodes by streaming them with a Paramount+ subscription.

We are getting dangerously close to fall programming returning to the 2026 TV schedule. Network TV is getting back off the ground and filming this month for September and October premieres, some of which are making us happier than others. Among those will be the return of NCIS prequel Origins. We got the first look at the upcoming episodes, and the show is absolutely taking a note from Captain Marvel.

No, that doesn’t mean Season 3 is going to be an upcoming Marvel project and there won't be any villains popping in from space. What I mean is that NCIS: Origins is definitely planning to hit on a location inspiring nostalgia in a similar way to how Captain Marvel did in 2019. Yes, that means bringing in Blockbuster Video. Take an Instagram official look from the set, below.

There’s nothing that will inspire fond thoughts of the ‘90s quite like a Blockbuster Video. Captain Marvel proved that a few years ago when Carol Danvers crash landed from space into a strip mall featuring – you guessed it – a Blockbuster. The location was used in tons of promotions for the movie prior to its release, and was a major talking point at the time. Years later, it’s still an identifying factor for the movie.

Given Origins kicked off in 1991, the decade is really a ripe time for the video rental store. Families would pop over on a Friday night and bring home everything from family movies to scary movies, plus snacks! Don’t forget the snacks. Granted, Origins is a lot grittier than what we usually get with NCIS, but one thing the prequel has always done well to differentiate from the other sequels and franchise spinoffs is with its period details, and Season 3 looks to be no exception.

I remember when the show was coming together CBS head honcho Amy Reisenbach spoke about all the period details, noting it’s hard to think of the ‘90s as “period,” but that’s exactly what it is.

If Blockbuster Video isn’t enough of an appeal element, we know Mark Harmon will be back in Season 3 (and not just in a narrating capacity this time). So there’s a lot to look forward to coming up, and not just with Origins but in the NCISverse as a whole. Info about the upcoming episodes is still scarce at this point. We’ll keep you posted as more news breaks, and in the meantime don’t forget to “be kind, and rewind.”

NCIS is such a massive franchise on the 2026 TV schedule, and it's been a mainstay on television for decades. So, it's hard to imagine a time when there were battles and questions about it. However, back in the early days, there were. In fact, there was one fight that happened between CBS and CSI over NCIS's title.

NCIS co-creator Don McGill appeared on the NCIS: Partners & Probies podcast, where he told hosts and NCIS stars Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover how the show’s title came to be. Even though it is only four letters long, it evidently became a pretty big problem for a different show whose title is only three letters long:

Considering how similar NCIS and CSI are when it comes to the title, it makes sense that the latter would make a big deal out of it, especially since they were on the same network. Plus, CSI was only a few seasons in by the time NCIS launched, so the series was still trying to find its footing before it went on to top the TV ratings. So the team at NCIS had to go through a couple of title variations during the show’s early years before eventually landing on the title that would stick for over 20 years:

It’s pretty insane knowing that the spinoff of JAG could’ve been stuck with Navy NCIS, which is saying Navy Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The second one wouldn’t have been as bad, since CSI’s full title is CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. It might have followed in CSI’s footsteps, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as close as NCIS and CSI. However, NCIS definitely fits better. It’s simple, it’s short, and it’s easier to say and tack a spinoff title onto.

I am definitely thankful that CSI ultimately backed off when NCIS was really starting to forge its own path, because it’s hard to imagine the franchise having any other name. Plus, Navy NCIS: Origins and Navy NCIS: New York don't have the same ring to them as just NCIS: Origins and NCIS: New York.

The NCIS franchise will be back on the 2026-2027 schedule with a total of four shows airing throughout the year. So there will be plenty more of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, just not the entire name, and fans can watch most of the franchise now with a Paramount+ subscription.

NCIS has remained strong over the last two decades and continues to do so as the series prepares to head into its 24^th season on the 2026 TV schedule. Even with Mark Harmon’s exit believed to be the “death knell” of NCIS, it’s definitely managed to hold its own. Harmon had joined NCIS as Leroy Jethro Gibbs when it was still just a JAG backdoor pilot, and when it came time to cast the character, a co-creator’s wife made a spot-on prediction about Harmon.

When they were casting for NCIS, plenty of A-listers were being tossed around for the role of Gibbs, such as Harrison Ford. Not surprisingly, Harmon was on the short list for potential actors to play Leroy Jethro Gibbs that CBS had sent out. What is surprising is that one particular person had a feeling that if Harmon got the role, NCIS would go far. Co-creator Don McGill shared on the NCIS: Partners & Probies podcast that his wife actually predicted the show’s success:

Of course, it’s hard to predict how far a show will really go, especially one that is the spinoff of an already successful show. And NCIS struggled during its early years, so you couldn’t really tell just how long it was going to last. Obviously, McGill’s wife turned out to be right, and I am so thankful that she was. I can’t imagine NCIS without Harmon as Gibbs, and he’s still such a big part of the franchise, so much so that he’s returning for NCIS: Origins’ upcoming third season.

There was no way of knowing just how much of a success NCIS would turn into, and I’m sure even McGill’s wife couldn’t have predicted 24 seasons and seven spinoffs by 2026. There are a lot of pieces of the puzzle that have made it successful, between the cast and the storylines, but you can’t argue that Harmon was definitely a big part of that, at least during the first half of the run.

Meanwhile, McGill’s wife may have predicted NCIS’ success because of Harmon, but Harmon admitted to being shocked that NCIS is still on the air. It did not do well when it was first starting out, struggling with ratings and trying to really find its footing. But knowing that it’s doing as well it is today is pretty remarkable. After over two decades, the NCIS franchise remains one of the most successful television franchises ever, and it doesn’t seem to be dying any time soon.

During the fall TV season, fans will be getting three NCIS shows, including Season 3 of NCIS: Origins, which will see Harmon reprising his role as Gibbs for all 10 episodes. Additional details about his appearance should be revealed in the coming weeks, but fans can watch the first two seasons of the prequel and all seasons of NCIS with a Paramount+ subscription.

Three years after NCIS: Los Angeles ended, Sam Hanna is officially back on the job in a big way. While LL Cool J had a recurring guest spot on NCIS: Hawai’i and appeared in a couple of recent episodes of NCIS, his fan-favorite character is returning full-time for the new spinoff, NCIS: New York. The hype is building for the new show, which is premiering this fall on the 2026 TV schedule, and if you want a sneak peek, we’ve got you covered.

CBS announced NCIS: New York in April, and LL Cool J wasn’t the only surprise casting. Hawaii Five-0’s Scott Caan is starring alongside the rapper, so the hype for this show is understandably real. Now, the ball has finally started rolling on the series, with production starting up in New York City. Pictures from set have gotten out, and since there aren’t any formal trailers yet, this is the first look we’ve gotten at LL Cool J and Caan in New York, and I love it already:

It should be pointed out that despite NCIS: LA’s crossover with Hawaii Five-0, Caan is not reprising his role as Detective Danny “Danno” Williams for NCIS: New York. He is playing a completely new character, Sam’s roguish partner, NCIS Special Agent Nick Schaeffer. It is going to be hard to get used to, but just seeing the duo together, I can tell this is going to be a special partnership. Of course, none of Sam’s partners can replace Callen (Chris O’Donnell), but I’m excited for what they could bring. It's just good to see Sam Hanna back on a full-time basis.

Here's the full cast lineup of regulars, including the most familiar faces.

• LL Cool J as Sam Hanna
• Scott Caan as NCIS Special Agent Nick Schaeffer
• Jennifer Beals as NCIS Director Robyn Wells
• Jacqueline Byers as NCIS Special Agent Addison “Addy” Ross
• Shane Harper as NCIS Special Agent Wyatt Hill
• Devin Druid as NCIS tech specialist Sean Sullivan

Another new photo shows LL Cool J, Caan, Harper, and Byers on set together and wearing the NCIS vests that are all too familiar to viewers now:

Even though CBS had announced that a new NCIS spinoff was on the way, it was still hard to believe since there was no warning whatsoever, and I was still mourning over NCIS: Tony & Ziva’s cancellation. Seeing the cast on set and filming definitely makes it all the more real, and this has certainly made me even more stoked.

As of now, CBS has not revealed premiere dates for the fall TV schedule, but it shouldn’t be too much longer now, especially as more shows start filming. These NCIS: New York set photos will have to do for now, but the wait will certainly be worth it. In the meantime, fans can always watch most of the NCIS franchise with a Paramount+ subscription to prepare for the newest iteration. NCIS: New York will be coming this fall to CBS.

NCIS Season 24 is coming soon on the 2026 TV schedule, and someone very special is returning with it. Following the heartbreaking cancellation of NCIS: Tony & Ziva, Michael Weatherly is officially back as Anthony DiNozzo for a season-long arc on the Mothership. Production has started on the new season, and as Weatherly begins playing his character again, fans have a theory about his upcoming story that I can’t stop thinking about.

Anthony DiNozzo Is Back

When Weatherly announced he'd be returning for NCIS, fans were happy but also understandably concerned, not knowing what this would mean for the events in NCIS: Tony & Ziva. The actor recently confirmed that his appearance would not retcon the Tiva spinoff, and now he’s getting fans even more pumped about his comeback. Take a look at this fun photo he shared on Instagram:

Like many, I was heartbroken when NCIS: Tony & Ziva was canceled, especially since it had been so long since we’d seen Tony and Ziva (Cote de Pablo) together. But I am definitely looking forward to Tony’s return on NCIS, and just seeing Weatherly back on set is hyping me up.

Now, I am curious why exactly he's come back into the fold. Thankfully, fans have a theory I really love.

What The Fans Are Saying About Tony's Return

Details surrounding Tony’s storyline have not been revealed, so we don’t know why he’s back in D.C. and why he’s going to HQ. We do know that he’ll be in a chunk of Season 24; which makes my main questions: how and why? Some fans took to the comments of Weatherly’s post to share their own theories that answer those questions, and they really have me wondering:

• Hmm... as Director DiNozzo or Special Agent DiNozzo? -cebuanafilipina101
• Welcome back! But how do we call you now? Agent Dinozzo? Mr. Dinozzo? CEO DiNozzo? 👀 can't wait to find out 😍 -cotestiva
• We missed you…director? 😂🔥👏 -average_jooo
• So excited for this comeback! Will you be Very Special Director DiNozzo🙌 -amandawoolery517

Ever since Director Vance’s surprise death in the 500^th episode earlier this year, NCIS has been short a director. There has been some talk about who could replace him, but as of the Season 23 finale, no one has been formally picked. It would be interesting to see Tony taking the reins, or at the very least, stepping back into his Very Special Agent DiNozzo shoes.

However, if his appearance isn’t supposed to retcon Tony & Ziva, his stepping up as Director might be hard since he was thriving at his private security business at the end of the spinoff. I don't think it's impossible though.

Along with Tony’s reason for returning, I hope his storyline addresses what he’s been up to since the events of NCIS: Tony & Ziva or how Ziva and Tali are doing. As of now, de Pablo is not set to appear on NCIS alongside her on-screen better half, but filming did only just start, so you never know.

With all that said, fans will have to see if their theories are correct when NCIS Season 24 premieres this fall on CBS. Meanwhile, all 23 seasons and NCIS: Tony & Ziva’s first and only season are streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.

NCIS: Los Angeles ran for 14 seasons before ending in 2023. It was the first spinoff and second-longest-running series in the NCIS franchise, just behind the Mothership, even though Daniela Ruah didn’t think the show would get picked up. So, with all that in mind, it's hard to imagine the franchise without NCIS: LA, and it’s even harder to picture different actors starring in the series. So, yeah, I can't believe the cast almost didn’t include Eric Christian Olsen as Marty Deeks.

Olsen joined NCIS: LA towards the end of Season 1, and officially came on as a series regular in Season 2. He was often the comedic relief, and he was one-half of fan-favorite couple Densi. Deeks is arguably one of the best characters on NCIS: LA, and it’s definitely because of the way Olsen played him. Which makes me even more shocked to hear that he wasn’t the first choice, as Olsen recalled on the NCIS: Partners & Probies podcast:

Considering how beloved Deeks is by fans, it blows my mind that executives didn’t initially want Olsen in the role. He explained to hosts and NCIS stars Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover that he had done a development deal at Fox, and he was also doing pilots at ABC while juggling a handful of movies. But, echoing what Dietzen had said earlier, he wanted to be in Los Angeles and do a steady TV show. Naturally, he called his agent, who told him about NCIS: LA:

Despite hilariously never having heard of NCIS: LA or the Mothership, Olsen ended up listening to his agent and going to the meeting. He met with creator Shane Brennan, who was a writer and executive producer on NCIS, and the meeting included some fake action scenes involving finger guns and some big discussions about partnering with Ruah’s Kensi Blye. Not knowing the vibe of the relationship, Olsen tried out a few different scenarios:

Deeks and Kensi’s relationship was a mixture of flirty and sarcastic with a lot of back-and-forth between them, and that’s why it worked so well. It’s all because Olsen improvised during this meeting, making fun of Kensi. While their playfulness may have been a highlight for fans, it wasn’t so much for the executives, at least not at first. Olsen admitted that they weren’t too fond of what he did, but Brennan wasn’t willing to give up so easily:

Olsen was only supposed to do a few episodes until Brennan fought to bring him back for Season 2, and the rest is history.

Deeks went from LAPD detective to NCIS/LAPD liaison officer to NCIS Investigator throughout NCIS: LA’s run. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Olsen's journey with the show began with executives passing on him to joining the cast as a series regular to now serving as an executive producer on NCIS: Origins. So, now I am as grateful as ever that things worked out, because the show would have been entirely different without Eric Christian Olsen.

Some NCIS fans were no doubt disappointed when the Tony & Ziva spinoff was canceled after just one season. However, it looks like they have reason to be happy again as Michael Weatherly preps for Tony's return to the mothership show amid the 2026 TV schedule. Weatherly recently spoke about rejoining the long-running series, and it sounds like the spinoff isn't as dead as believed.

To be clear, Paramount+ subscription holders shouldn't expect to see Tony & Ziva Season 2 at some point. Yet Weatherly confirmed during an appearance at Comic Con Midlands in Birmingham, United Kingdom, that his return to NCIS would not erase the events of the failed spinoff. He teased a bit of what's on the way during a panel with co-star Cote De Pablo (via @a11laura):

It's makes a lot of sense that Tony & Ziva will be acknowledged in NCIS, especially since the show experienced some streaming success post-cancellation. And, of course, the producers may also want to ensure that the continuity remains intact. While the offshoot won't return to streaming for another go-around, fans who've been campaigning for it to return can, at the very least, take solace in the fact that Anthony DiNozzo's reappearance on NCIS will take the spinoff into account.

That aside, NCIS has its own cliffhanger to resolve at the start of Season 24, and there are some other big character arcs the show is building as well. Still, Michael Weatherly is banging the drum and promising the return will be worthwhile, hyping up the flagship series in the process:

If I had to guess what's on the way for Tony's return, I'd say it'll be some sort of storyline that plays into the fallout from Tony & Ziva. I wouldn't expect that storyline to encapsulate the entire season, but rather be a two-to-three-episode arc, if we're lucky.

The biggest question right now is whether Cote De Pablo will join Michael Weatherly in his return or if Ziva David is going to be hanging back with her and Tony's daughter, Tali, at that time. I can imagine there being some disappointment amongst fans if both Tony and Ziva aren't in the mix, and I think the producers know that. All this to say, I wouldn't be shocked if CBS is sitting on another announcement about De Pablo's involvement, or is even keeping her return a surprise. That's just an assumption, though.

Of course, if she doesn't show up, I'm sure Tony will explain Ziva's absence. At the end of the day, I'm just happy there's still a show for these two to return to and that their spinoff will remain canon.

NCIS returns to CBS in the fall, and I'm stoked to see what Michael Weatherly brings to the table when he reappears as Tony. I'm also excited to see what's going on with the rest of the characters, especially after THAT dramatic standoff in the Season 23 finale.