For 24 seasons, a team of federal agents has worked out of the Washington Navy Yard, chasing crimes tied to the Navy and Marine Corps. NCIS premiered on CBS on September 23, 2003, and signed off on May 12, 2026 — 508 episodes built on a simple, durable premise.
Trailer, via ncismelanie.
From JAG to the Navy Yard
The show began as a spin-off. Two episodes of JAG — “Ice Queen” and “Meltdown,” aired April 22 and 29, 2003 — introduced the concept and characters. Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill are the co-creators. Steven D. Binder served as showrunner.
The title changed twice. It started as the redundant “Navy NCIS,” became “Naval Criminal Investigative Service” in season 2, then settled on NCIS in season 3.
Gibbs, Parker, and the Major Case Response Team
The team is the Major Case Response Team, handling high-visibility crimes: murder, espionage, terrorism, stolen submarines. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine Gunnery Sergeant and Scout Sniper played by Mark Harmon, led the unit until his suspension late in season 18. Gary Cole’s Alden Parker, a former FBI agent, took over early in season 19.
The cast turned over constantly. Michael Weatherly’s Anthony DiNozzo ran seasons 1 through 13. Sean Murray’s Timothy McGee started as a recurring role and went main in season 2. Wilmer Valderrama, Katrina Law, Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover round out the current bench.
KEY FACTS BOX
- Score: 7.6/10 (TMDB audience score, 2563 votes)
- Network: CBS
- Premiere: September 23, 2003
- Finale: May 12, 2026
- Seasons: 24
- Episodes: 508
SCHEDULE TABLE
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| JAG backdoor pilot (“Ice Queen”) | April 22, 2003 |
| JAG backdoor pilot (“Meltdown”) | April 29, 2003 |
| NCIS series premiere | September 23, 2003 |
| NCIS series finale | May 12, 2026 |
The Spin-Off Machine
NCIS became a franchise. A two-part season six episode launched NCIS: Los Angeles. A two-part season 11 episode launched a second spin-off. As of 2025, NCIS ranked as the third-longest-running scripted, live-action American prime-time series still airing, behind Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order. It is fifth overall.
Why 7.6 Holds Up
The score is fair. NCIS never chased prestige; it built a machine. Twenty-four seasons and 508 episodes is the argument, and the audience score of 7.6 across 2563 votes reflects a show that was reliably good rather than great. The procedural format absorbed cast departures — Harmon, Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum — without collapsing.
That resilience is the real story. As of 2026, with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert cancelled and Blue Bloods and S.W.A.T. finished, NCIS is the last scripted show under Les Moonves still in production. That says less about quality than endurance.
7.6 of 10.
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