Every NCIS Spinoff Explained - Daily Hollywood News

After over 20 years on the air and several spinoffs having broadened the franchise, NCIS has become a massive institution of television, branching out from its original scope to become something bigger than its creative team ever could’ve imagined. The franchise shows no signs of slowing down, with the announcement of exciting new spinoffs season after season. With the flagship series coming back for NCIS season 24 this fall, a new spinoff will be coming to CBS this year as well, along with new seasons of the existing spinoffs. While each has a similar tone, they tackle different unique experiences.

NCIS began launching spinoffs in 2009 when it first the cast of NCIS: Los Angeles, but the franchise tradition dates back even further than that. NCIS started as a spinoff of the ’90s military legal procedural JAG, with a two-part special in 2003 serving as the backdoor pilot. The highly successful offshoot made it a no-brainer for the network to explore expanding the franchise even further. With a new network spinoff coming this fall in NCIS: New York and the franchise’s other spinoffs continuing to find success as they move forward, the NCIS franchise is an iconic, consistent ecosystem.

9

NCIS

2003-Present

The franchise’s flagship premiered as its own show in the fall of 2003. Before that, NCIS was launched as a spinoff of the legal drama JAG, with most of the original Major Case Response Team members appearing in the two-part backdoor pilot. JAG followed a legal team that facilitated justice for United States Marine Corps members. The series had a substantial run on TV, airing 10 seasons in total, but NCIS lasted longer than JAG when the older drama ended in April 2005. The origin of NCIS kick-started a trend of backdoor pilots for the franchise.

NCIS was launched in JAG season 8, episode 20, “Ice Queen,” and episode 21, “Meltdown.” The episodes introduced Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Pauley Perrette as Abby Sciuto, David McCallum as Donald Mallard, and Michael Weatherly as Anthony DiNozzo. NCIS has since aired for over two decades, with compelling stories expected in season 24 after the shocking events in the season 23 finale. NCIS season 24 will see the return of Weatherly as Tony, bringing a veteran back to the cast after years away and a spinoff of his own.

Release Date: September 23, 2003
Showrunner: Donald P. Bellisario
Directors: Dennis Smith, Terrence O’Hara, Tony Wharmby, James Whitmore Jr., Thomas J. Wright, Michael Zinberg, Arvin Brown, Rocky Carroll, Diana Valentine, Leslie Libman, Tawnia McKiernan, Colin Bucksey, William Webb, Bethany Rooney, Alrick Riley, Jeff Woolnough, Alan J. Levi, Lionel Coleman, Martha Mitchell, Peter Ellis, Michael Weatherly, Edward Ornelas, Stephen Cragg, Tom Wright
Writers: George Schenck, Frank Cardea, Jesse Stern, John C. Kelley, Jennifer Corbett, Christopher Silber, Reed Steiner, Nicole Mirante-Matthews, Jack Bernstein, Scott J. Jarrett, Matthew R. Jarrett, Kimberly-Rose Wolter, Don McGill, Gil Grant, Frank Military, Nell Scovell, Steven Kriozere, Brian Dietzen, Kate Torgovnick May, Jeff Vlaming, Sydney Mitchel, Katie White, Richard C. Arthur, Laurence Walsh

Sean Murray

Timothy McGee
David McCallum

Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard

8

NCIS: Los Angeles

2009-2023

LL Cool J as Sam Hanna with Eric Christian Olsen as Marty Deeks and Daniela Ruah as Kensi Blye and Chris O'Donnell as G Callen in NCIS Los Angeles in the woods — LL Cool J as Sam Hanna with Eric Christian Olsen as Marty Deeks, Daniela Ruah as Kensi Blye, and Chris O’Donnell as G. Callen in the woods in *NCIS Los Angeles*.

NCIS would originate its spinoff legacy by introducing the Office of Special Projects in NCIS: Los Angeles. It was launched in 2009 as a spinoff of the flagship show, and, in some ways, NCIS: Los Angeles was an extension of NCIS itself. The original series introduced the special projects team in a two-part backdoor pilot. NCIS characters travel to Los Angeles in NCIS in season 6, episode 22, “Legend Part I,” and episode 23, “Legend Part II,” to work with the OSP agents, skilled at going undercover and working with the most advanced technology available.

The series introduced beloved characters to the franchise: G. Callen (Chris O’Donnell), Sam Hanna (LL Cool J), Special Agent Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah), and LAPD-NCIS Liaison Officer Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen). Kensi and Deeks had many memorable episodes as the pair had one of the most charming relationships in the franchise. Viewers even witnessed the pair tying the knot in NCIS: Los Angeles season 10, episode 17, “Till Death Do Us Part.” It was pivotal for NCIS to allow the lead characters to act on their romantic feelings. The Los Angeles-based series was canceled in 2023 after 14 seasons.

Release Date: 2009 – 2023-00-00

Chris O’Donnell

G. Callen

7

NCIS: Red

2013

Chris O'Donnell as G Callen and LL Cool J with the NCIS Red team in NCIS Los Angeles — Chris O’Donnell as G. Callen and LL Cool J with the NCIS: Red team in NCIS: Los Angeles.

Following the development of NCIS: Los Angeles, the series attempted to launch a spinoff that never got off the ground. NCIS: Red was a backdoor pilot that aired on NCIS: Los Angeles in 2013, four years after the California-based spinoff premiered. The NCIS: Red team was introduced in NCIS: Los Angeles season 4, episode 18, “Red,” and episode 19, “Red-2.” The NCIS Red Team is one of several mobile NCIS units designated by color. The series would have featured John Corbett as former Special Agent Roy Haines in the shared NCIS universe.

CBS opted not to pick up NCIS: Red as its own series and would introduce NCIS: New Orleans the following year. Had the series been picked up, it would have marked the dawn of exciting beginnings for the franchise. Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Red Team Paris Summerskill (Kim Raver) would have been the first female lead of an NCIS team depicted in the series. (The honor now belongs to Vanessa Lachey of NCIS: Hawai’i.) It also would have marked the franchise’s first fourth-generation spinoff.

6

NCIS: New Orleans

2014-2021

Caleb Foote as Randy, Kyle Schmid as Franks, Mariel Molino as Lala and Austin Stowell as Gibbs

The franchise cemented a location-based spinoff trend when it introducedthe cast of NCIS: New Orleans. The series was set up onNCISseason 11, episode 18, “Crescent City Part I,” and episode 19, “Crescent City Part II.” Scott Bakula spearheaded the team of agents as Dwayne Cassius Pride, a former colleague and old friend of Jethro Gibbs. Other team members included Dr. Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder), NCIS Special Agent Tammy Gregorio (Vanessa Ferlito), NCIS Forensic Agent Sebastian Lund (Rob Kerkovich), and Investigative Computer Specialist Patton Plame (Daryl Mitchell).

The show had a pretty good run, airing for seven seasons on CBS and featuring many memorable guest stars on NCIS: New Orleans. Despite introducing fan-favorite characters, NCIS: New Orleans aired its final episode in 2021, making it the first successful spinoff in the NCIS franchise to come to an end. The series introduced characters that could return to the franchise, including a promising NCIS spinoff character, Gregorio, who could replace Jessica Knight in the main series.

5

NCIS: Hawai’i

2021-2024

NCIS Hawai'i Jane Tennant looking thoughtful with her hands folded. — Vanessa Lachey as Jane Tennant in NCIS Hawai’i

The third spinoff was born in Hawai’i when Vanessa Lachey’s Jane Tennant became the first official female lead portrayed on NCIS. The cast of NCIS: Hawai’i garnered exciting diversity for the franchise, with Lachey’s character also marking the first Asian American lead on NCIS. The cast also featured a relationship between central characters NCIS Junior Special Agent Lucy Tara (Yasmine Al-Bustami) and FBI Special Agent Kate Whistler (Tori Anderson) that brought pivotal LGBTQ+ representation to the franchise.

The introduction of the island-based spinoff marked the NCIS franchise departing from its trend of the flagship series launching spinoffs with backdoor pilots. In 2021, NCIS: Hawai’i premiered on CBS with a cold launch. In 2024, after the announcement that the franchise would be pursuing two new spinoffs based on the original NCIS cast members, CBS made the controversial announcement that NCIS: Hawai’i would not return for season 4. NCIS: Hawai’i’s cancelation marked a massive loss for the NCIS franchise, forgoing the positive representation of lead female characters for other endeavors.

Release Date: 2021 – 2024-00-00
Directors: Tim Andrew, Larry Teng, Christine Moore, LeVar Burton, James Whitmore Jr., Yangzom Brauen, Lionel Coleman, Loren Yaconelli, Norman Buckley, Tawnia McKiernan, Christoph Schrewe, Diana Valentine, Eric Fox Hays, James Bamford, James Hayman, Leslie Hope, Lin Oeding, Lisa Demaine, Tessa Blake, Daniela Ruah, Ruben Garcia, Kevin Berlandi, Kurt Jones
Writers: Jan Nash, Christopher Silber, Matt Bosack, Amy Rutberg, Ron McGee, Yalun Tu, Noah Evslin, Megan Bacharach, Yakira Chambers

4

NCIS: Sydney

2023-Present

Sean Sagar as DeShawn Jackson with Todd Lasance as JD Dempsey and Olivia Swann as Michelle Mackey with guns in NCIS Sydney — Sean Sagar as DeShawn Jackson with Todd Lasance as JD Dempsey and Olivia Swann as Michelle Mackey with guns in NCIS: Sydney

When it opened an NCIS office in Sydney, Australia, the NCIS franchise offered audiences something completely different. The introduction of NCIS: Sydney marked the fourth spinoff for the franchise, and it was the first time that viewers witnessed internationally-based NCIS agents. The series introduced Special Agent in Charge Michelle Mackey (Olivia Swann) as the Team Leader of the Australian Federal Police (AFP)/NCIS Sydney Task Force. She works alongside other NCIS: Sydney characters, including the team’s second-in-command, AFP sergeant Jim Dempsey (Todd Lasance), known as “JD.”

Other characters include NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson (Sean Sagar), AFP liaison officer Constable Evie Cooper (Tuuli Narkle), ex-Austrailian Navy Medic Roy Penrose (William McInnes), and Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson as the team’s forensic scientist. The characters experience a more connected storyline in the Sydney-based series, following a central threat narrative throughout the show. NCIS: Sydney also broke from the NCIS backdoor pilot trend, with the characters introducing themselves on their show when it debuted in 2023. The series has already aired a second season, and will premiere a third in 2027.

Release Date: November 10, 2023
Network: Paramount+
Showrunner: Morgan O’Neill
Directors: Jennifer Leacey, Shawn Seet
Writers: Andrew Anastasios, James Cripps, Morgan O’Neill

Olivia Swann

Michelle Mackey
Todd Lasance

Jim ‘JD’ Dempsey

3

NCIS: Tony & Ziva

2024

The NCIS franchise branched out into a different style of storytelling with its Paramount+ spinoff, NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Catching up with Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) years after their last appearances on NCIS, the former partners and messy romantic pair took on their own story that spanned all over Europe. When their daughter, Tali, was put in danger, Tony and Ziva sprung into action after years away from hunting down criminals and using their investigative skills. While working together wasn’t something they anticipated, the former partners fell into a rhythm that proved just how well they work.

With elements of a crime thriller on top of a romance, NCIS: Tony & Ziva was a fun ride through a fast-paced case that kept turning in on itself. The series finally shed light on the relationship between Tony and Ziva post-NCIS, and as it moved through its story, pushed the long-simmering romance into a whole new territory as viewers got the chance to explore how Tony and Ziva’s post-show relationship fractured, before coming back together again throughout the spinoff. Sadly, NCIS: Tony & Ziva was canceled after just one season on Paramount+, ending the exciting series.

2

NCIS: Origins

2024-Present

NCIS presented something truly unique with its NCIS: Origins spinoff. It marked the first time the NCIS franchise will rewind the clock and take viewers back to examine a character’s past. The series will follow young Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he starts at the NCIS Camp Pendleton office. The series features Kyle Schmid as young Mike Franks, Gibbs’ mentor and former partner. The expansion show has already cast critical members of the Pendleton office, like NCIS Special Agent Vera Strickland. The characters returned to CBS in the 2024-2025 TV cycle, continued in 2025-2026, and will air season 3 this fall.

While the series has a similar focus on the main characters from the flagship, NCIS: Origins took a major risk that NCIS: Tony & Ziva didn’t. Rather than Mark Harmon’s son, Sean Harmon, returning to the role, Austin Stowell was cast as young Gibbs. It’s crucial that the actor offered audiences a performance that struck the right blend of how Gibbs would have acted after his time in the Marine Corps and before his time at NCIS Headquarters. While Mark Harmon didn’t originally return as Gibbs, he narrates the series and will be a part of NCIS: Origins season 3.

Showrunner: Gina Lucita Monreal, David J. North

Cast

1

NCIS: New York

2026-Present

NCIS’s newest spinoff, NCIS: New York, will premiere in the fall 2026 season. Bringing Sam Hanna back to the franchise, the newest series will follow as he returns to his home city and begins leading New York City’s field team. With Scott Caan of Hawaii Five-0, joining as Hanna’s partner Nick Schaeffer, the series will be bringing a whole new team to the franchise with a cast of Jennifer Beals as Robyn Wells, Jacqueline Byers as Addison “Addy” Ross, Shane Harper as Wyatt Hill, and Devin Druid as Sean Sullivan. The series will bring a whole new NCIS to life.