NCIS

NCIS (which stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service) premiered on CBS in September 2003, and across many of its 21 seasons has been TV’s most-watched drama. An offshoot of CBS’ JAG, NCIS originally starred Mark Harmon as team leader Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Michael Weatherly as “Very Special” Agent Tony DiNozzo, Sasha Alexander as Caitlin Todd, Pauley Perrette as forensic scientist Abby Sciuto and David McCallum as Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, the team’s M.E.

Sean Murray and Brian Dietzen at first recurred as Timothy McGee and Dr. Jimmy Palmer, then were made series regulars; similarly, Rocky Carroll debuted in Season 5 as NCIS Director Leon Vance, and became a series regular the following year.

The current team of naval crimesolvers consists of McGee, Palmer, Alden Parker (played by Gary Cole), Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) and forensic scientist Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover).

NCIS has to date spawned the spinoffs NCIS: Los Angeles (which ran 14 seasons), NCIS: New Orleans (which ran seven seasons), NCIS: Hawai’i (now airing Season 3) and NCIS: Sydney (awaiting Season 2 renewal news), as well as the upcoming NCIS: Origins (a prequel about a young Gibbs) and a yet-to-be-titled Tony-and-Ziva series, set in Europe.

NCIS airs Mondays at 9/8c on CBS, and can be streamed the next day on Paramount+.