Well, here we are at the start of another NCIS Verse Season. With no stupid unions deciding to walk out and screw everyone over, this is actually a ‘normal’ Season.
Earlier this year, I had hoped that when the Verse finally returned, that I would get answers to what happened with Hetty. Heck, NCIS Hawaii even brought in Sam Hanna! (obvious ratings stunt).
But that never happened, and Hawaii was (thankfully!) canceled due to costs and lack of schedule room, and I am now back at Square 1.
But I’m not worried. Not only is NCIS back to 20+ episodes this Season, but there are 3 more NCIS shows that can fulfill my desire:
— The 1st ever prequel ‘NCIS Origins’. Yeah, this is about Gibbs’s past, but the producers have said a couple of times now that they are very open to bringing in more young versions of other team members, and Hetty is included! (even TV Line believes it will happen!).
— The new and wildly anticipated ‘NCIS Tony and Ziva’. The most famous love story in the Verse is finally getting it’s continuance after 10 years! It’s currently filming in Budapest and other countries till mid December and will hit Paramount Plus next year.
Whether it will have any one from either the mothership show or LA remains to be seen, but several actors from NCIS have expressed interest in interviews and on the Rewatch podcast ‘Off Duty’ in cameos, plus 2 LA actors were podcast guests early on, and the show’s first showrunner was on the podcast last week!
So, never say never.
— The 2nd Season of NCIS Sydney. Filming concluded last week, and will hit Paramount Plus Australia and CBS next year.
It’s highly unlikely there will be cameos from other shows (I didn’t hear of any of the cast members being Australia before filming on NCIS started, plus the 1st Season ended on a giant cliffhanger and I have 0 clue on where it’s timeline stands with the OG show!).
However, that doesn’t mean there can’t be sly mentions of certain team members!
—
There’s plenty of chances for Hetty to be mentioned or show up.
The physical return of the most legendary female leader in the Verse’s history after a 3 year hiatus would be MASSIVE, plus it no doubt would be a huge ratings grab for CBS. IMO, it would be in their best interest to make that happen this Season.
So, here’s to another great year to the ever growing and thriving NCIS Verse, let’s wait and see if Hetty will finally be brought out of limbo!
The NCIS spinoff focused on Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly’s characters is filling out its core cast.
The Paramount+ series, titled NCIS: Tony and Ziva, has added eight actors as series regulars. The show, with Weatherly and de Pablo reprising their roles as Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David, has also begun production in Budapest.
Joining de Pablo and Weatherly — who reprise their roles from CBS’ NCIS flagship — are Isla Gie, Amita Suman, Maximilian Osinski, Nassima Benchicou, Julian Ovenden, Terence Maynard, Lara Rossi and James D’Arcy. Paramount+ gave a series order to the show in February; Tony and Ziva is one of two new NCIS-verse series in the offing, along with a prequel titled NCIS: Origins that will debut on CBS in the fall.
Tony and Ziva will pick up several years after the two characters reunited in the flagship show’s storyline, raising their daughter, Tali (played by Gie, The Outlaws), in Paris, where Tony heads a security company. When the company is attacked, “they must go on the run across Europe, try to figure out who is after them and maybe even learn to trust each other again so they can finally have their unconventional happily ever after,” according to the show’s logline.
Suman (Shadow and Bone) will play Claudette, the extremely proficient chief technical officer at Tony’s company. Osinski (Ted Lasso, Agents of SHIELD) plays Boris, a Russian expat and one of the best and most elusive hackers in the world. Benchicou will play Martine, an elegant and crafty former French intelligence agent.
Ovenden (Bridgerton) will play Jonah, a former NSA programmer who’s now the secretary general of Interpol. Maynard (The Witcher, Coronation Street) plays Dr. Lang, an experience therapist. Rossi (The Watch) plays Sophie, Tali’s caretaker who has a background in the British Special Air Service. D’Arcy (Oppenheimer, Agent Carter) will play Henry, a high-ranking Interpol official.
CBS Studios produces Tony and Ziva. John McNamara (The Magicians) is the showrunner and executive produces with Weatherly, de Pablo, Laurie Lieser, Christina Strain, Shelley Meals and Mairzee Almas.
A fan favorite, McCallum was the last remaining original cast member on NCIS, in which he played an eccentric but highly efficient investigator Donald “Ducky Mallard” for two decades.
As heavily teased in the promos, the episode dubbed “The Stories We Leave Behind” opened with Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen, who co-wrote the episode) arriving at Ducky’s house to find his mentor — dressed in his monogrammed jammies — dead in his bed, with his sweet corgi looking forlorn in the foyer.
“Dying quietly in your sleep isn’t the worst way to go,” comments Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) back at the NCIS offices, after wrapping up a call with Scottish parliament who apparently wanted to send “a mountain of thistles” to honor their native son’s passing.
“He lived a very long, very rewarding life, which he would want us to celebrate more than anything,” added Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll).
So that’s exactly what the episode did — show old scenes from past seasons to remember the character who once said “we all die twice; when our bodies give out, and again when are stories stop being told.”
There was a flashback featuring Leroy Gibbs (Mark Harmon) with Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). Then came a scene with Ducky and Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), followed by one with Ducky and Gibbs talking about how the latter never really shared personal stories at work.
But first, there had to be a case du jour: the last thing Ducky was working on involved a dead soldier named Danny whose name was getting smeared by an ambitious councilman named Allan Berger (um, not to be confused with, we guess, veteran talent agent Alan Berger). The official word was that Danny died in an Afghan brothel, his body riddled with heroin — but his daughter, Serena, suspected otherwise.
So did Ducky. The team does some digging and it turns out Danny was a former bodyguard for Berger, who previously worked as a contractor in Afghanistan and took money on the side from a local heroin operation. Once Danny threatened to expose the shenanigans, Berger had Danny killed.
Brian Dietzen as Jimmy Palmer. Michael Yarish/CBS
With the case in the bag and Danny’s good name restored, the team could then move on to Ducky’s memorial. But first, a surprise was in store for Palmer, who was prepping to deliver a eulogy. In walks DiNozzo, who brought Palmer a special gift — a bowtie similar to what his mentor used to wear in the lab.
“He had a good friend in you,” DiNozzo tells Palmer. The two then head to the memorial, after Palmer turns the light off in Ducky’s former workspace.
Weatherly hasn’t appeared on CBS since his drama Bull ended in 2022. He left NCIS in 2016.
The episode ended with a title card that read, “In memory of our dear friend and colleague David McCallum. We will miss you.”
EXCLUSIVE: Gibbs is returning to the NCIS universe as the lead of a new CBS drama, which serves as a prequel to the long-running procedural. The network has given a straight-to-series order to NCIS: Origins, about young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, for the 2024-25 broadcast season. The project comes from the two actors who have portrayed Gibbs on NCIS, Mark Harmon and his son Sean Harmon, veteran NCIS writers-producers, Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North, as well as CBS Studios, which is behind the NCIS franchise.
Narrated by Mark Harmon, NCIS: Origins begins in 1991, years prior to the events of NCIS. In the new series, Gibbs starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks. (On the mothership series, Franks has been a recurring character played by Muse Watson. Franks was fatally stabbed in Season 8 but continued to appear to Gibbs when he needed a sounding board on hard cases.)
The idea of exploring Gibbs’ early years originated with Sean Harmon, who recurred on NCIS, playing the younger version of Mark Harmon’s character in seven episodes from 2008-2020. Along with his father, who starred as Gibbs on NCIS for more than 18 seasons, Harmon approached Monreal, North and CBS Studios about expanding the NCIS universe with a Gibbs-centered offshoot.
Sean Harmon is focusing on executive producing duties for the new series alongside Mark Harmon, who continues to executive produce the flagship NCIS, as well as Monreal and North, who are co-writing the premiere episode and will serve as co-showrunners. North also will continue his duties as executive producer and co-showrunner (with Steven D Binder) on the mothership. Search will be launched for an actor to play the lead in the spinoff.
Sean Harmon in ‘NCIS’CBS
“The character of Gibbs has been an important part of my life for 20 years, both in watching my father craft the role and previously having the honor to play young Gibbs myself,” Sean Harmon said. “I always felt there was a tale worth telling about his earlier years, so I am thrilled to be stepping into a producing role alongside Gina, David and my dad as we tell this story and reveal a new side of this beloved character.”
Monreal and North, who said they are “thrilled to be bringing this new chapter to life along with Mark and Sean Harmon,” teased more revelations in the new series.
“This really is the making of Leroy Jethro Gibbs,” the duo said. “And even the most dedicated NCIS fans will discover that they don’t know the whole story.”
NCIS: Origins is taking a route that proved successful for another flagship CBS series, comedy The Big Bang Theory, which spawned a successful prequel, Young Sheldon, about the early years of one of the lead characters.
“We are elated and honored to continue the expansion of the NCIS universe in such a unique and unexpected way,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “Viewers can look forward to Mark Harmon returning to CBS to narrate the complex and mysterious backstory of Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ early years in NCIS: Origins, which will build on the rich legacy of this character while reintroducing fan-favorite characters and meeting new ones.”
This is CBS’ fourth new scripted series for the 2024-35 season, joining dramas Matlock and Watson and comedy Poppa’s House.
NCIS is one of CBS Studios’ most valuable franchises. Twenty one seasons in — currently ranking as the third-longest-running U.S. primetime drama — the mothership series remains the most watched non-sports program on broadcast. A big global seller, which once ranked as the most watched drama in the world, the venerable procedural has spawned three spinoffs in the U.S., NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans as well as NCIS: Hawai’i, which is headed to its 3rd season. The franchise recently went international with its first non-American offshoot, NCIS: Sydney, which also has done very well in the U.S. Used by CBS on its strike-impacted fall schedule, it has ranked as the most watched new series of the 2023-24 season to date.
According to Nielsen and internal data, during the 2022-2023 TV season, the NCIS franchise had over 300 million viewers around the world across all platforms including broadcast, cable, streaming and syndication.
“There’s no denying the cultural and global phenomenon of the NCIS franchise for the last 20 years,” said David Stapf, president of CBS Studios. “When Sean and Mark approached us all with this exciting expansion of the universe – exploring a young Gibbs – we knew it was the next story that needed to be told. We also couldn’t be luckier to have Gina and David at the helm as co-showrunners who are not only brilliant and adept writers but know this character and universe so well.”
NCIS: Origins reunites North and Monreal, who both wrote on NCIS for 10 years. Monreal, who left the CBS series a couple of years ago, has recently worked on Netflix’s Griselda, Star Wars: The Bad Batch and the upcoming Dan Fogleman/Sterling K. Brown project for Hulu.
Casting on the spinoff is being handled by NCIS casting directors, Jason Kennedy, Krysti Baxter, and Meredith Goble.
Mark Harmon is repped by Gersh and attorney Barry Axelrod. Sean Harmon is repped by 3Arts Entertainment, Gersh and Genow Goodman. Monreal is repped by CAA, Mosaic, and Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson McGinnis Ryan. North is repped by Dan Halsted Manage-Ment.
‘NCIS’ fans get to head to the southern hemisphere this fall.
CBS revealed the trailer for their first-ever international edition of NCIS on Wednesday, teasing fans for what’s to come on the upcoming NCIS: Sydney.
“What was once the far side of the world is now the most contested patch of water on the planet,” a voice says in the trailer.
“Our two nations — NCIS, AFB (Australian Federal Police) — stand shoulder to shoulder to ensure this vast swathe of ocean remains peaceful,” the voice continues.
“With rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, a brilliant and eclectic team of U.S. NCIS agents and the AFP are grafted into a multinational taskforce to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet,” the show’s press release reads.
NCIS: Sydney is the fifth series to join the NCIS franchise, joining NCIS, NCIS: Hawaii, NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans.
CBS
“NCIS is one of the most popular series in the world and we’re thrilled to expand this franchise with a uniquely Australian twist,” Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said via press release. “Featuring the stunning backdrop of Australia, the new series will incorporate the high-stakes intrigue, humor and camaraderie that have kept fans captivated by the NCIS teams for over two decades.”
The series will star Olivia Swann as NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey and Todd Lasance asher 2IC AFP counterpart, Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey. The protagonists are joined by Sean Sagar as NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson; Tuuli Narkle as AFP liaison officer Constable Evie Cooper; Mavournee Hazel as AFP forensic scientist Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson and William McInnes as AFP forensic pathologist Dr Roy Penrose.
NCIS: Sydney will premiere on Nov. 13 on CBS, airing just after the original NCIS.
LL Cool J — fresh off wrapping his 14-year run as NCIS: Los Angeles‘ Sam Hanna, who surprisingly resurfaced on CBS 24 hours later to make a bacon-saving cameo during NCIS: Hawa’i’i‘s Season 2 finale — is joining the island-set spinoff for Season 3, as a recurring guest star.
Midway through the NCIS: Hawai’i finale, Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant (played by Vanessa Lachey) was in the course of escaping a pair of back-from-the-dead Adrian Creel’s henchmen when a sniper shot rang out from a nearby hill, felling the second of her and Whistler’s (Tori Anderson) adversaries.
The shooter, Special Agent Sam Hanna, then rang Jane’s cell to make reference to the fact that, yes, the NCIS: LA series finale had deposited Sam (and Callen) 6,800 km away in Morocco (on a mission to save Hetty), but also to offer Tennant his future services.
CBS screenshot
But when the NCIS: Hawai’i finale later drew to a close, it appeared that Supervisory Agent John Swift (Henry Ian Cusick) will be the one to avail the Pearl Harbor office of Sam’s vast experience. For as Jane worried what the fallout would be for unexpectedly letting superspy Maggie Shaw slip away, Swift was seen on the phone talking to someone about how “it couldn’t hurt to plus-up the team” in Pearl Harbor, adding: “I have an idea who….”
LL Cool J and Lachey BTS during crossover
In a TVLine exclusive, NCIS: Hawai’i front woman Lachey says she is “so excited” to have LL Cool J (aka Todd Smith) come on board for Season 3. “This is an amazing opportunity to continue evolving the NCIS franchise,” she notes. “And what better way to do that than have Sam Hanna join the team.”
While Lachey is mum on how exactly Sam will fit into the mix (“That’s the fun part, figuring out how we all will solve cases together”), she is confident that “we will have fun on set!” With a nod to the 3-way NCIS franchise crossover that aired in January, she says, “From the moment we started filming the triple crossover, to hearing the news of Todd joining our team, it’s been laughs, love and excitement all around.”
In fact, Lachey surmises that the success of said crossover played “a big part” in whetting appetites for LL Cool J’s move to Hawai’i. “We all loved working on the triple crossover, so this transition seemed natural,” she says.
Wowzers! We knew some big moments were coming to NCIS: Los Angeles’ final episode ever, and fans got to watch it all go down as “New Beginnings Part 2” closed out the previous week’s cliffhanger and started parceling out its happy endings. As Daniela Ruah teased ahead of the finale without actually saying it, the episode delivered a city hall wedding for Callen and Anna, some huge pregnancy news for Deeks and Kensi, and an update on Linda Hunt’s long-absent Hetty. But while it was great to see some familiar faces returning to close things out in the final sequence, there was still something pretty huge missing: Ms. Henrietta Lange herself!
I know I’m not the only one who hoped NCIS: L.A. would find a way to get the fan-beloved Linda Hunt back on the show in person for its swan song, especially to see Callen tying the knot, albeit in a more subdued capacity. Even if it was just via a Zoom call or whatever, to have her physical presence around would have been aces, considering she’s been absent from the broadcast drama since the Season 13 premiere. Granted, I fully understand that it’s difficult for the actress to commit to such things, despite the showrunner’s attempts to bring her back for Season 14, whether it be due to physical ailments or other issues. So it’s not for nothing that the series finale DOES feature some voiceover narration from the actress, even if she wasn’t around for an in-person appearance.
What’s more, that voiceover work is what sets up the final scene, which itself sets up the idea that these characters will continue working together for years to come, as opposed to some TV finales that frustratingly pull characters apart to go off in different directions.
How NCIS: Los Angeles’ Finale Updated Hetty’s Story
Following Callen and Anna’s wedding, a mysterious courier showed up with an envelope for Chris O’Donnell’s character, whose wax seal featured some familiar initials. (Though Sam ran off to ask the guy a question, he mysteriously disappeared! Sort of.) As it turns out, even though Hetty isn’t in close contact these days, she somehow still knew about the impromptu wedding taking place, and managed to set up both the newlywed couple’s honeymoon and a new mission for the dynamic duo. Here’s what her congratulatory letter said:
Dear Agent Callen, Congratulations on your wedding. I am so very happy for you and Anna. I only wish I could have been there to celebrate such a glorious occasion with all of you. Most people think I never had a family of my own, but I beg to differ. I have been blessed with the greatest family one could ever have wished for…and so have you. As always, Hetty P.S. I have arranged for you and Anna to have my place in Mykanos for your honeymoon. Stay as long as you like.
I’m sure Callen and Anna were more than excited about the concept of having a sweet ass spot in Greece to go celebrate their nuptials without job stress to worry about. Though they better hope Anna’s dad doesn’t find out its location, lest he try and take a pair of dates out there, with one of them possibly being Deeks’ mom.
The envelope also contained some plane tickets and a secondary note that didn’t even let Callen soak in the post-wedding bliss before having him wonder about his next task around the world. Here’s what her second message said, sans voiceover.
I’ve also sent along two plane tickets to for you and Sam in the event that you may have a couple days beforehand to help me with a small side project.
Naturally, the episode ended with Sam and Callen making that trip to Morocco to see what the side project was, only to touch base again with a trio of familiar faces.
NCIS: Los Angeles’s Series Finale Brought Back Nate, Sabatino, And Nell
For the briefest of moments, it seemed like the CBS drama was actually going to deliver a big Linda Hunt appearance whenever LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell’s characters showed up in Morocco. (Even though it seemed patently ridiculous for Callen to “recognize” Hetty from behind.) Instead, though, he found Renée Felice Smith’s Nell, who was there to bring the pair into their next adventure. Smith left NCIS: Los Angeles in the Season 12 finale, which also happened to include one of Hunt’s final appearances.
And lo and behold, that adventure happened to also include returns from Erik Palladino, marking his 21st appearance as Vostanik Sabatino, and Peter Cambor’s Nate Getz. Neither was super-duper surprising to see here, as Sabatino showed up once already this season, for Episode 1411, while Nate appeared in two Season 13 episodes, which where his first since Season 8. Still, it’s always great to see them, and they had a bright and bushy-eyed new recruit with them that beared a not-so-coincidental resemblance to Callen himself. The circle of life, as it were.
While fans no doubt would have loved to see Barrett Foa’s Eric Beale back alongside Nell, it wasn’t meant to be. Whenever Callen asked about him, she gave this simple and on-point update:
He is giving a TED talk in Singapore.
A billionaire is gonna billionaire, amirite? Am I, though? I don’t actually know any billionaires.
While audiences won’t have any more full-length episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles to dig through, we can always hope that CBS and the applicable producers might one day figure out a way to bring some of the L.A. team into one of the other series, whether it be for another three-way crossover or for something smaller in scope. In the meantime, all 14 seasons are available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.
NCIS: Los Angeles is expanding its series finale to two episodes. The double series ender will air at 10 p.m. Sunday, May 14, the date previously announced as the series finale, and at 9 p.m. Sunday, May 21, on CBS.
Following the May 21 episode, CBS will air A Salute to NCIS: Los Angeles an Entertainment Tonight special that takes a look back at the past 14 years of the series.
“Wrapping up a series is always bittersweet,” said showrunner and executive producer R. Scott Gemmill. “We were blessed to have 14 seasons together, so bringing it to a satisfying end was extremely challenging after so many years. Fortunately, CBS was gracious enough to give us an extra episode in order to send off our characters in a way befitting their stories that hopefully the fans find both satisfying and hopeful.”
In the May 14 episode, “New Beginnings, Part 1,” when an ATF agent goes missing, the agency seeks help from the NCIS team to investigate stolen military-grade weapons and locate the agent. Also, Callen (Chris O’Donnell) and Anna (Bar Paly) continue to plan their wedding, Roundtree’s (Caleb Castille) sister (Ava McCoy) interviews for medical school, and Sam (LL Cool J) encourages his father to take part in the drug trial.
In “New Beginnings, Part 2”, the NCIS team continues the case with ATF and the stolen weapons.
Both episodes also will be available for streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+.
Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier hosts A Salute to NCIS: Los Angeles special from Paramount Studios, where NCIS: Los Angeles filmed for 14 years.
The one-hour special features footage and interviews with NCIS: LA cast members from the past 14 years, including current exclusive interviews, favorite memories and behind-the-scenes moments from the Entertainment Tonight vault.
NCIS: Los Angeles, which will have aired 322 episodes including the series finale, is going out on a high note. The show is averaging 6.08 million viewers and is the top scripted program in its Sunday 10 p.m. time period.
The NCIS spinoff is a drama about the high-stakes world of a division of NCIS that is charged with apprehending dangerous and elusive criminals who pose a threat to the nation’s security. By assuming false identities and utilizing the most advanced technology, this team of highly trained agents goes deep undercover, putting their lives on the line in the field to bring down their targets. Armed with the latest in high-tech gear and regularly sent into life-threatening situations, this tight-knit unit relies on each other to do what is necessary to protect national interests.
Along with O’Donnell, LL Cool J, and Castille, the series stars Linda Hunt, Daniela Ruah, Eric Christian Olsen, Medalion Rahimi and Gerald McRaney.
R. Scott Gemmill, John P. Kousakis, Frank Military, Kyle Harimoto, Andrew Bartels, and Shane Brennan, who created the series, all serve as executive producers. NCIS: Los Angeles is produced by CBS Studios.
Yup, that’s right, folks! The more superior NCIS of the franchise was renewed today for Season 21.
Despite so many cast changes over the years, it’s writing has remained hard core and true to what the show was always about, and as a result of all that, it still has millions of fans worldwide and still makes CBS a lot of money.
(LA unfortunately, can’t say anything about that because it’s really bad writing sank it and it’s ratings.).
Here’s to another year of the way more superior NCIS!!
One of CBS’ longest-running scripted shows, NCIS: Los Angeles, will be coming to an end after 322 episodes. Its current 14th season will be the show’s last, with the series finale set for May 14, airing on the network and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.
The NCIS spinoff, starring LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell, is tied as the fifth longest-running CBS primetime scripted series ever, only behind Gunsmoke, Lassie, CSI and Criminal Minds. Among the four, the two shows that have aired in the last 50 years, CSI and Criminal Minds, both have since been revived, which bodes well for NCIS: Los Angeles‘ future.
Additionally, NCIS: Los Angeles is a rare long-running procedural drama to have had its original leads, LL Cool J and O’Donnell, stay on for the entire run. Both have spoken publicly about their commitment to the series, which hit the 300 episode milestone last May, and their fellow cast members.
According to sources, the cast and crew of NCIS: Los Angeles are being told today about the series coming to an end. A cancellation of a long-running drama with big-name leads filming in L.A. should not come as a shock given the big price tag involved, especially at a time when networks across the board are looking to cut their spending. Still, I hear the cancellation news came as a surprise to many associated with the show as it follows the strong ratings for the three-way crossover with mothership NCIS and latest offshoot NCIS: Hawai’i.
“This NCIS Crossover was a huge success!!”, LL Cool J just wrote on Instagram. “After 14 seasons, this is the perfect time to end @ncisla on top of our game!!!”
I hear the timing of the decision stems from the network’s desire to allow showrunner R. Scott Gemmill and his team to craft a series finale, which they will have to jump on right away to get it ready for May. In a statement (you can read it in full later in the story), Gemmill promised fans an ending that “is both satisfying and does justice to these beloved characters.”
NCIS: Los Angeles was the first spinoff from NCIS, now in its 20th season. It was followed by NCIS: New Orleans, which ran for seven seasons, and NCIS: Hawai’i, now in its second season.
Boosted by being part of the NCIS franchise, NCIS: Los Angeles set a record for the quickest off-network syndication sale in fall 2009 when it was nabbed by USA Network for a massive $2.2M-$2.3M an episode just 6-7 weeks into its run. The series has remained a money maker for producer CBS Studios with distribution in more than 200 countries.
‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ (CBS)CBS
“For 14 seasons, NCIS: Los Angeles has been a stalwart of our lineup with characters who were a joy to watch,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “From day one, the cast, producers and crew were amazing network/studio partners, and their teamwork, talent and spirit vividly came through on the screen. We are so grateful for the collaboration and remarkable run of these treasured members of our CBS family, and plan to give them the big sendoff they and their fans deserve.”
Unlike the mothership NCIS series, which stayed in its original Tuesday time slot for almost two decades until recently relocating to Monday, NCIS: Los Angeles has been a classic utility player for CBS, moving seven times in 14 seasons and helping reestablish a beachfront for the network with scripted series on Sunday.
The series, created by Shane Brennan, is averaging 6.06 million viewers and is the top scripted program in its Sunday 10 PM slot. Season to date, new episodes have amassed more than 591 million potential social media impressions and Americans have watched over 4.2 billion minutes (through Jan. 15) of the current season.
“I want to thank both the network and studio for their partnership and support over the years; Shane Brennan for giving us such a great playground; and my partners John P. Kousakis, Frank Military, Kyle Harimoto and Andrew Bartels for their tireless efforts and collaboration episode after episode,” said NCIS: Los Angeles executive producer and showrunner Gemmill. “Our crew has grown to be a true family, and their hard work and dedication has been fundamental to our success year after year. My deepest gratitude to the cast members, who have brought our characters to life with their impassioned performances – thank you for your talent, professionalism and continuous enthusiasm. And to our loyal viewers who loved our characters and followed their journeys, thank you. We look forward to delivering an end to the series that is both satisfying and does justice to these beloved characters.”
My take:
Truth be told, when Hetty started getting the short stick, that’s when I started disliking this show. Plus, all the bad writing that happened to the team afterwards just made me more angry.
I’m not that bummed out. Just disappointed that everyone deserved so much better from these last few years. Now we have to hope that everyone (including Hetty) can somehow get a happy ending. (and yes, the perfect ending I have in mind is Hetty being home for Callen’s wedding)
Full episode details for the 3 part NCIS verse crossover was released yesterday, along with a few photos. And I’m just gonna say it bluntly: It all looks like a mess.
“Too Many Cooks” – NCIS agents from Washington, D.C., L.A. and Hawai’i, all in D.C. to attend the retirement party of a beloved Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) professor, find themselves investigating his shocking suicide, on the CBS Original series NCIS, Monday, Jan. 2 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*. The episode is part one of a three-episode NCISverse crossover event with NCIS: LOS ANGELES and NCIS: HAWAI’I.
“Deep Fake” – Tennant, Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) and Sam Hanna (LL COOL J) find themselves captured by a woman claiming to be a CIA agent demanding intel from the team. Also, Jesse, Ernie, Whistler and Alden Parker (Gary Cole) learn about an asset that arrived in Hawai’i who could be connected to several overseas assassinations, on the CBS Original series NCIS: HAWAI’I, Monday, Jan. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.* NCIS stars Gary Cole, Brian Dietzen and NCIS: LOS ANGELES stars Chris O’Donnell and LL COOL J guest star in the episode, which is part two of a three-episode crossover event with NCIS and NCIS: LOS ANGELES.
“A Long Time Coming” – Agents Rountree and Fatima are ambushed while searching for Kilbride, who has been MIA, and they learn that every member of the team has a hefty bounty on their head. The NCIS team must save Agent Rountree and find Kilbride while every cartel, hitman, gang and psychopath hunts them down, on the CBS Original series NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Monday, Jan. 2 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.* NCIS stars Gary Cole, Wilmer Valderrama and NCIS: HAWAI’I stars Vanessa Lachey and Yasmine Al-Bustami guest star in the episode, which is the conclusion to the three-episode crossover event with NCIS and NCIS: HAWAI’I.
Firstly, all 3 episodes don’t really look connected to each other if you just go by what their details say.
Secondly, the 2nd and 3rd episodes sound a bit too much like overkill. Like, 3 kidnapped agents in the 2nd part, and then you get 2 ambushed agents in the 3rd part and every bad guy out there chases the 3 teams while they try to find them? Bit much, don’t ya think? (not to mention, it all sounds like it’ll be rushed and probably poorly executed.)
Third: I’d be hard pressed to find a few someones who actually watch all 3 of these shows who won’t be hopelessly lost trying to understand who the other people on the other teams are.
And fourth: The only person who kept NCIS LA from turning into the sheer dumpster fire it is now won’t even be around to help them. And how is anyone supposed to know who the legendary leader of LA’s team is if she’s not even gonna be around for this?! What’s the point of trying to get to know her team without them then?!
If this whole thing was going to be about rescuing Hetty, then it would’ve sounded more appealing. But instead, we get slight disjointment in the episodes, multiple kidnapped agents and being chased by multiple hitmen, and it will be a miracle if it all doesn’t end up looking rushed or badly thought out. ‘Nice’ to see the low standards when it comes to the writers and fans.
“NCIS: LA” viewers were alarmed this week when the Season 14 premiere of the CBS procedural did not include Linda Hunt’s Hetty, the character whose last known location was Syria. In the episode, the team received word that a body had been a body found in Syria. By the end, they learn that it was a child’s body but they had Hetty’s IDs attached to them — likely because she wanted to stage her own death.
While it hasn’t been determined what exactly she’s up to, there are plans for her to return to the show this season, confirms executive producer R. Scott Gemmill, especially with Callen (Chris O’Donnell) and Anna’s (Bar Paly) nuptials.
“Hetty has been an integral force within the agency and an especially important part of Callen’s past,” Gemmill told Variety in a statement on Tuesday. “As Callen starts thinking about his upcoming wedding to Anna, he would want Hetty present. The plan is to go and rescue her at some point and find out what she’s gotten herself into in Syria, but we’re just trying to figure out when we can pull it off. The goal is to make it happen this season.”
Hunt last appeared in the Season 13 premiere, titled “Subject 17,” which aired in October 2021.
—————————————————————————————–My Take: I have severe trust issues with this showrunner, especially when it comes to Hetty. But I’ll admit, the mere fact that whatever Hetty is doing is getting the kind of attention it’s getting, is a hopeful sign that he knows that he’ll eventually have to make good on his ‘goal’ and not bait everyone for an entire Season again.
