NCIS is coming to the end of a season in which it did what once was unthinkable: It survived without Mark Harmon.
The CBS show lost Gibbs this season after years of reports that it would probably end if the character exited the show. Then he left, and the show kept rolling on – after all, there are always naval crimes to solve, and Alden Park (played by Gary Cole) has been more than willing to solve them.
With NCIS ending its current season on May 23, fans' thoughts are turning to Season 20. Specifically, fans are wondering whether there will be a new season, and how long they will have to wait until its release date. Read on for what we know so far about the future of the CBS series.
Will There Be Another Season of NCIS?
Naval criminals better watch their backs: Park, McGee (Sean Murray) Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) will be back on the beat.
CBS renewed all three of its current NCISes at the end of March 2021. Which means we are not only getting NCIS Season 20, but also NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 and NCIS: Hawai'i Season 2.
"NCIS, one of the most popular and enduring series in the world..." CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl said in a statement. "We couldn't be more excited to have all three talented casts and creative teams back to bring more compelling NCIS stories to viewers in the U.S. and around the globe."
The triple NCIS renewal shouldn't perhaps be a surprise. CBS announced in May that it was the most-watched network for the 14th straight year (and for 19 out of the past 20 years). The jewel in the network's crown is NCIS, which is its most-watched show in terms of total viewers and in the 18 to 49 demographic key to advertisers. It's also the most-watched show on network TV in the U.S. in general, and the second out of all U.S. linear television behind Yellowstone.
Gibbs' exit wasn't the franchise killer that many feared it would be. Though viewership is down 22 percent on the show in general this season (per TVSeriesFinale), there was no negligible difference in viewing figures in the episodes Harmon featured in versus the ones after he left the show.
When Will NCIS Season 20 Air?
CBS has confirmed that NCIS will be part of its fall lineup for the 2022-2023 TV season. This means it will be back in September 2022.
After over 15 years on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, NCIS is keeping in the time slot it moved into this season. This means the show will be airing Monday night at 9 p.m. ET, before NCIS: Hawai'i at 10 p.m.
Though CBS hasn't revealed the Season 20 release date, previous dates give us some idea. Apart from the COVID-delayed 2020 season, every season of NCIS has started between September 19 and September 28. This gives us two possible release dates for Season 20: September 19 and September 26. Based on last year's release date of September 20, the former seems the most likely.
The current NCIS season finale airs on Monday, May 23, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS; All the previous episodes are streaming now on Paramount+.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
