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:
That developed—I have to give credit, I think, to [Donald[ Bellisario. He wanted something interesting to do, and I don't even know how we came about—I remember it came about with the idea of what the sound of an old flash sounded like, and that was where it kind of developed. And I don't remember even how, maybe Don did, or someone came up with the idea of calling it a 'foof.'
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:
Actors loved it also because then whose face gets ended at the end of each act with the 'foof.' But it's become kind of a standard thing, and it works well, and we do it now at the end of an act, and then that's the lead into the next act, and it's been a nice transition for us and a hallmark of the show in many ways.
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?
