NCIS
NCIS
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NCIS

"Back in force."

7.6
Yr 2003
Status Returning Series
Crime Drama Action & Adventure
Your Verdict
Unrated

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Series Brief

Overview

From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has any connection to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.

Status

Latest

  • CBS confirms return dates for NCIS franchise — July 27, 2026
  • Michael Weatherly returning for season-long arc — July 1, 2026
  • Michael Weatherly returning for season 24 — July 1, 2026
Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 70 /100

Since its 2003 debut, NCIS has grown from a military procedural spin-off into an enduring international sensation and perennial broadcast ratings leader. While early critical assessments could be skeptical—with some initial reviews brushing it off as formulaic or slow-witted—the series quickly distinguished itself from standard police procedurals through its tone and longevity.

Reviewers and viewers consistently single out the show's cast chemistry and character relationships as its defining strengths. Praised for mixing investigative crime-solving with liberal doses of humor, the drama succeeds largely on the amusing and engaging dynamics of its core investigative team operating in high-stress environments.

“Sporting good chemistry amongst the entire cast, NCIS is an above average police investigation series.”

“With liberal doses of humor, it's a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations.”

“As slow-witted as its redundant title would have you believe.”

Why fans love it

NCIS emerged in 2003 as a procedural built on the specific jurisdiction of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. While standard crime dramas often focus on metropolitan police departments, this series narrows its scope to the military world. Cases range from espionage and terrorism to the recovery of stolen submarines, placing characters inside a recurring landscape of high-stakes naval operations and administrative bureaucracy.

Mark Harmon leads a recurring roster of investigators that balances veteran experience with the evolving dynamics of the special agent team. The structure relies on the friction between seasoned field officers and medical examiners as they navigate evidence tied to personnel scattered across the globe. By grounding its narrative in the specific legal codes of the Marine Corps and the Navy, the series maintains a focus on institutional protocol that sets it apart from more generalized crime fiction.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 7
Longest run 496 eps
Mark Harmon
Mark Harmon
as Leroy Jethro Gibbs
435 episodes
Sean Murray
Sean Murray
as Timothy McGee
496 episodes
Wilmer Valderrama
Wilmer Valderrama
as Nick Torres
205 episodes
Michael Weatherly
Michael Weatherly
as Tony DiNozzo
311 episodes
Katrina Law
Katrina Law
as Jessica Knight
99 episodes
Cote De Pablo
Cote De Pablo
as Ziva David
195 episodes
Brian Dietzen
Brian Dietzen
as Jimmy Palmer
398 episodes
Sasha Alexander
Sasha Alexander
as Caitlin Todd
49 episodes
Show 67 more
David McCallum as Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard 457 episodes Pauley Perrette as Abby Sciuto 354 episodes Emily Wickersham as Ellie Bishop 174 episodes Lauren Holly as Jenny Shepard 61 episodes Maria Bello as Jack Sloane 76 episodes Duane Henry as Clayton Reeves 50 episodes Jennifer Esposito as Alex Quinn 24 episodes Rocky Carroll as Leon Vance 399 episodes Diona Reasonover as Kasie Hines 160 episodes Gary Cole as Alden Parker 96 episodes Rudolf Martin as Ari Haswari 6 episodes Armand Assante as René 'La Grenouille' 4 episodes Jessica Steen as Paula Cassidy 6 episodes Sarah Jane Morris as EJ Barrett 8 episodes Merik Tadros as Michael Rivkin 7 episodes Scottie Thompson as Jeanne Benoit 18 episodes Liza Lapira as Michelle Lee 12 episodes Matt Craven as Clayton Jarvis 10 episodes Michael Nouri as Eli David 7 episodes LL Cool J as Sam Hanna 6 episodes Kiara Muhammad as Kayla Vance 5 episodes Akinsola Aribo as Jared Vance 4 episodes Lev Gorn as Anton Pavlenko 4 episodes Tony Gonzalez as Tony Francis 4 episodes Jamie Bamber as Jake Malloy 6 episodes Tamer Hassan as Agah Bayar 4 episodes Rafi Silver as Qasim Naasir 4 episodes Joel Gretsch as Stanley Burley 4 episodes Marco Sanchez as Alejandro Rivera 7 episodes Diane Neal as Abigail Borin 6 episodes Leslie Hope as Sarah Porter 6 episodes Susanna Thompson as Hollis Mann 8 episodes Louise Barnes as Sarah 4 episodes Damon Dayoub as Adam Eshel 5 episodes Melinda McGraw as Diane Sterling 5 episodes Scott William Winters as Westley Clark 6 episodes Dionne Gipson as Mallory 4 episodes Matt Jones as Ned Dorneget 6 episodes Sean Harmon as Young Leroy Jethro Gibbs 7 episodes Adam Campbell as Young Donald Mallard 5 episodes Rena Sofer as Margaret Allison Hart 6 episodes Connie Jackson as Elaine 11 episodes Pancho Demmings as Gerald Jackson 14 episodes Kent Shocknek as Guy Ross 11 episodes Stephanie Mello as Cynthia Sumner 15 episodes Mary Mouser as Kelly Gibbs 7 episodes Juliette Angelo as Emily Fornell 8 episodes David Dayan Fisher as Trent Kort 14 episodes Robert Wagner as Anthony DiNozzo Sr. 13 episodes Darby Stanchfield as Shannon Gibbs 7 episodes Muse Watson as Michael Franks 19 episodes Pam Dawber as Marcie Warren 7 episodes Margo Harshman as Delilah Fielding 20 episodes Jack Fisher as Phineas 6 episodes Alan Dale as Tom Morrow 14 episodes Joe Spano as T.C. Fornell 56 episodes Ralph Waite as Jackson Gibbs 7 episodes Laura San Giacomo as Grace Confalone 13 episodes Meredith Eaton as Carol Wilson 5 episodes Elayn J. Taylor as Hut Owner 5 episodes Michelle Pierce as Breena Slater 6 episodes Naomi Grace as Kayla Vance 5 episodes J. Claude Deering as Curtis Hubley 8 episodes Jamie Lee Curtis as Samantha Ryan 5 episodes Tim Kelleher as Christopher Pacci 5 episodes Seamus Dever as Graham Thomas 7 episodes Zane Holtz as Dale Sawyer 6 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Script Supervisor
Suzanne McRobert
Set Designer
Jim Walters Jim O'Donnell
Director
Arvin Brown Lionel Coleman Colin Bucksey Terrence O'Hara Mark Horowitz Dennis Smith Diana Valentine William Webb Tawnia McKiernan
Transportation Coordinator
Greg Nutt
Production Design
Robert J. Bacon
In Memory Of
David McCallum Gary Khammar Gary Glasberg
Post Production Assistant
Derek Stamberger
Technical Advisor
Craig Harvey Leon Carroll Jr.
Key Costumer
Eleni Handrinos
Hairstylist
Carla Dean
Graphic Designer
Robert Bernard
Additional Music
Greg Burns
First Company Grip
Bill Baker
Construction Coordinator
Craig Reedy
Stunt Coordinator
Diamond Farnsworth
"B" Camera Operator
James Troost
Director of Photography
William Webb
Property Master
Mike Cunningham
Signal Match

Similarity

Where NCIS overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

navy marine corps u.s. navy naval officer medical examiner interrogation ex-marine criminal investigation veteran virginia crime investigation special agent police procedural dramatic
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
September 23, 2003
Status
Returning Series
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
2,580