When Will ‘NCIS’ Return? Season 23 Details, Schedule Shift & What’s Next
The NCIS franchise continues to expand, and while some spinoffs come and go, the original series isn’t slowing down. CBS has confirmed the flagship drama will return for Season 23 as part of the 2025–2026 lineup — but with a notable schedule change.
Here’s everything we know so far.
Renewal and release window
CBS renewed NCIS for Season 23 in February 2025 alongside several other shows. While an exact premiere date hasn’t been announced, the new season is expected to debut in fall 2025, likely in late September or early October.
The series will also shift back to Tuesdays at 8/7c, returning to a familiar time slot after airing Mondays at 9/8c since Season 19. It will lead into NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney, creating a full night of NCIS programming.
Who’s returning?
The main cast is expected to remain intact, including:
Sean Murray (Timothy McGee)
Wilmer Valderrama (Nick Torres)
Brian Dietzen (Jimmy Palmer)
Diona Reasonover (Kasie Hines)
Katrina Law (Jessica Knight)
Rocky Carroll (Leon Vance)
Gary Cole (Alden Parker)
No departures have been announced, and the Season 22 finale left all core characters alive and still part of the agency.
How Season 22 ended
The finale delivered a major emotional blow for Parker. After being kidnapped by mob boss Carla Marino, he was forced into a confrontation tied to her son’s death — and returned home to discover his own father dead. The episode also teased a mystery involving his mother’s death certificate, hinting at a possible cover-up.
What Season 23 will explore
Executive producer Steven D. Binder has hinted that Parker’s grief will drive a darker storyline. The character is expected to spiral emotionally and pursue revenge, putting his team in the difficult position of trying to protect him and keep him from crossing a line.
The season will also lean more heavily into the personal lives and struggles of the characters, rather than focusing only on case-of-the-week stories.
Trailer status
There’s no trailer yet — it’s still too early in production.
The bigger NCIS universe
The franchise remains strong. NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney were both renewed (for Seasons 2 and 3), and a new Paramount+ spinoff, NCIS: Tony & Ziva, starring Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, is set to premiere in fall 2025.