‘NCIS’ Officially Smashes a Major Viewership Record With a Surprise Return

When we talk about television shows that have defined generations, it is almost a crime for us to have such a conversation without giving a mention to NCIS. Impressively, for nearly 25 years, a quarter of a century, the law enforcement procedural has brought us several cases and plotlines which have stayed with us over the years. On Tuesday, October 6, the franchise, which remains a smash hit all these years later, returned with a number of premieres.

First off, the mothership series returned with the premiere episode of Season 24 and with it came a twist. With director Vance (Rocky Carroll) sacrificing his life at the end of Season 23, the way was made clear for a new permanent director to take his place. The Season 24 premiere answered the question regarding who would step into the new role. The new season brought back Michael Weatherly, and by the time the episode ended, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo was made the new agency director. The original series was not the only franchise show to premiere on Tuesday; the latest spin-off, NCIS: New York, and the third season of the exciting prequel, NCIS: Origins, also returned. Origins brings back Mark Harmon to star as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the third season, which will run a plotline set in the present day but tying back to the ’90s. LL COOL J‘s Sam Hanna returned to help headline New York alongside Scott Caan and his team.

These returns seem to have done wonders for all three shows. With the franchise bringing back Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo of the now-canceled NCIS: Tony & Ziva and Harmon returning to his role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the CBS shows seem to have enjoyed a bump in viewership. The network’s Tuesday night lineup of these three franchise shows averaged 5.49 million viewers, which delivered a Number 1 broadcast finish. NCIS was the night’s most-watched scripted broadcast program with an average of 6.45 million viewers. In second place, NCIS: New York debuted with an average of 5.62 million viewers, showing off a 53% gain on the Origins Season 2 premiere. As for the Gibbs-centered prequel, Origins came in with an average of 4.39 million viewers, which signifies a 20% rise from its premiere a year ago. The return of Weatherly, LL COOL J, and Harmon has facilitated a boost in viewership for the franchise, albeit temporarily.

What Are the Crossover Chances Between ‘NCIS: Origins’ or ‘NCIS: New York’?

One of the cardinal pillars of the NCIS franchise has been its openness towards crossovers between the mothership series and its spin-offs. With NCIS and NCIS: Origins already enjoying a crossover in a two-part event on November 11, 2025, and with the introduction of New York, the question of a crossover event quickly arises. Showrunner Steven D. Binder, while speaking recently, was quizzed on the including the possibility of crossover events Origins and New York. While Binder didn’t guarantee an imminent crossover event, the showrunner explained that NCIS‘ history suggests there could be one:

“I could say it’s such a logistical nightmare to shoot and share actors who live in other states. Just saying the word scares me. No one has pushed or broached that subject yet, and the show hasn’t even aired. But if you look back over the history of NCIS, there has always been crossovers. I think anyone would be reasonable to assume at some point there will be a request for one and we’ll get it done. Sharing actors is a little easier. Crossovers are very complicated to shoot.”

The NCIS franchise airs on Tuesdays on CBS. Follow Collider for more network TV updates.