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Like much of network TV, the NCIS franchise went on hiatus for the holidays, with all three CBS dramas pausing in December. The winter finales for NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney aired the week before the flagship series’ midseason capper, and fans had expected all three shows to return to CBS in late February 2026. However, the premiere schedule has now been pushed back.
State of the Union Forces a Schedule Shift
CBS initially planned for NCIS, NCIS: Origins, and NCIS: Sydney to return on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. But the network had to adjust when Speaker of the House Mike Johnson announced on January 7 that President Donald Trump would deliver the State of the Union that same night.
With the SOTU commanding primetime coverage, CBS decided to keep its trio of NCIS dramas aligned and preserve the intended three-show premiere night, rather than splitting them up.
The NCIS Franchise Returns March 3, 2026
Fans will now have to wait nearly three months after NCIS: Origins’ explosive midseason finale. All three series will debut their winter episodes on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. While full episode details remain under wraps, we do know the next NCIS Season 23 episode is titled “Army of One”, though its plot remains a mystery.
Series regular Brian Dietzen has teased that the show’s AI storylines will continue:
“NCIS is a government organization—they’re going to go through their growing pains and their automation pains as well. It’s going to fuel some major storylines that will shake and reshape NCIS this season.”
Dietzen also joked that if AI threads show up on NCIS: Origins, it would indicate a timeline problem—something that might require a future NCIS: Skynet spinoff.
What About NCIS: Tony & Ziva?
Unfortunately, fans won’t be seeing NCIS: Tony & Ziva return. Paramount+ canceled the spinoff in December 2025, leaving its storyline unresolved. While it’s possible elements of Tony and Ziva’s story could appear in back-half episodes of the main NCIS series, there’s no official word yet.
The franchise may be a week later than expected, but with three series returning together, fans can look forward to an exciting March as the NCIS universe picks up where it left off.
If you want, I can also create a snappier, social-media-friendly version that highlights the new premiere date, AI storyline tease, and the Tony & Ziva update in under 200 words. Do you want me to do that?