The NCIS universe is heading into one of its biggest seasons yet. This fall, CBS is turning Tuesday nights into an all-NCIS lineup, bringing together the long-running flagship series, a brand-new spinoff set in New York City and the third season of NCIS: Origins. With familiar faces returning and an entirely new team joining the franchise, the 2026–27 television season could mark a major new chapter for one of television’s most successful drama universes.
The expansion is especially notable because the franchise is not simply adding another series. It is connecting three very different eras of NCIS. The flagship show continues into Season 24, NCIS: New York introduces a new team led in part by a familiar face from NCIS: Los Angeles, and NCIS: Origins continues telling the early-career story of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. CBS has deliberately placed all three shows together on Tuesday nights, creating a three-hour block dedicated entirely to the franchise.
‘NCIS’ Season 24 Brings Tony DiNozzo Back
Perhaps the biggest piece of news for longtime viewers is Michael Weatherly’s return as Tony DiNozzo. Weatherly is coming back for a season-long story arc, rather than a brief one-episode appearance. CBS says Tony will be reunited with the NCIS team during Season 24, giving fans a chance to see one of the show’s most recognizable characters back in the world where he spent 13 seasons.
Tony’s return is significant because he was such an important part of the show’s early identity. His combination of humor, confidence and investigative ability made him one of the franchise’s most recognizable agents. His relationships with Gibbs, McGee and Ziva David became major parts of the show’s emotional foundation.
He left the series at the end of Season 13 after learning about his daughter, Tali, and choosing to focus on being a father. His departure therefore represented more than a character simply leaving a job. Tony was choosing a completely different life.
Now, nearly a decade later, he is returning to the team.
The fact that Weatherly will appear in a season-long arc makes the comeback even more intriguing. The writers have considerably more time to explore why Tony is back, how he has changed and what his relationships with the current agents will look like. The return can acknowledge the character’s history without requiring the series to simply recreate the NCIS of a decade ago.
The Ziva Question Is Still Hanging Over Tony’s Return
Of course, Tony’s return immediately brings another beloved character back into the conversation: Ziva David.
Cote de Pablo’s Ziva was one of the most important people in Tony’s life, and their relationship eventually led to the birth of Tali. Tony and Ziva’s story continued beyond their departures from the flagship series through NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which recently reunited the two characters in a new chapter of their lives.
However, Ziva’s appearance in Season 24 has not been announced as part of Tony’s return. That distinction matters. Fans may hope for another reunion, but the confirmed news is that Weatherly is returning as Tony for a season-long arc.
That leaves plenty of room for speculation without making assumptions about what the season will reveal.
Tony’s return could simply focus on his relationship with the current NCIS team. It could also acknowledge his life with Ziva and Tali without bringing either character onscreen. Either way, the history surrounding Tony gives the writers plenty of material to explore.
‘NCIS: New York’ Is the Franchise’s Biggest New Addition
If Tony’s comeback represents the past returning to the present, NCIS: New York represents the future of the franchise.
The new series premieres October 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, immediately following NCIS Season 24. It introduces a new NCIS team working in New York City, while bringing back LL Cool J as Special Agent Sam Hanna.
Sam is not a new character. Fans previously watched LL Cool J play him throughout NCIS: Los Angeles. His move to New York gives the franchise a familiar face while allowing the new series to establish its own identity.
The show pairs Sam with Scott Caan’s Special Agent Nick Schaeffer, described as a roguish agent with a very different personality. Their partnership could become one of the central relationships of the new series.
The cast also includes Jennifer Beals as Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robyn Wells, Jacqueline Byers as Special Agent Addison “Addy” Ross, Shane Harper as Special Agent Wyatt Hill and Devin Druid as tech specialist Sean Sullivan.
That gives the new series a mix of experienced leadership, field agents and technical expertise, while creating several different personalities for the audience to follow.
Why New York Could Change the Franchise
Setting the newest spinoff in New York City gives NCIS another distinct environment to explore.
The city is one of the world’s major transportation and maritime hubs, creating plenty of possibilities for cases involving the Navy, Marine Corps and other federal interests. But New York also gives the series a different visual and cultural identity from the franchise’s previous locations.
For Sam Hanna, the setting is especially meaningful because he is returning to his hometown. That means the new series can explore his personal connection to the city alongside the team’s professional cases.
The premiere will reportedly center on Sam investigating the mysterious death of his friend, Navy reservist Jack Halloway. That investigation brings him together with Nick and eventually helps establish the new team.
Starting with a personal mystery could give viewers an immediate reason to care about Sam’s transition to New York rather than simply presenting it as another job change.
‘NCIS: Origins’ Season 3 Gets a Major Gibbs Return
At the other end of the timeline is NCIS: Origins, which returns for its third season this fall.
The prequel follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Austin Stowell, during the early 1990s. Mark Harmon narrates the series and previously appeared onscreen as Gibbs during the show’s premiere and a later crossover. Season 3 takes his involvement much further.
Harmon will appear as older Gibbs in every episode of Season 3 as part of a present-day mystery connected to his 1990s Camp Pendleton days. CBS describes the storyline as an action-packed mystery that unfolds throughout the entire season.
That makes Season 3 particularly important for viewers interested in the connection between the Gibbs audiences already know and the younger version of the character played by Stowell.
Instead of simply watching Gibbs become a better investigator, viewers will also see how the experiences of his early career continue to affect him decades later.
Young Gibbs and Lala Face a New Chapter
The young Gibbs storyline is also becoming increasingly complicated because of his relationship with Cecilia “Lala” Dominguez, played by Mariel Molino.
Lala has become an important part of Gibbs’ early career and personal life, and the relationship has developed significantly over the course of the series. Their growing connection gives Origins an emotional storyline that exists alongside the procedural mysteries.
Season 3 can now explore what happens when Gibbs’ personal feelings begin to intersect with his professional responsibilities. That is especially interesting because longtime viewers already know that Gibbs eventually becomes a famously private and guarded character.
Watching him during a period when he is still capable of forming deep emotional connections adds another layer to the prequel.
The official Season 3 cast includes Stowell, Molino, Kyle Schmid as Mike Franks, Tyla Abercrumbie as Mary Jo Hayes, Diany Rodriguez as Vera Strickland and Caleb Foote as Bernard “Randy” Randolf, alongside Harmon as older Gibbs.
One Night, Three Different Versions of ‘NCIS’
Perhaps the most interesting part of CBS’ fall strategy is the decision to put all three shows together.
On Tuesday, October 6, NCIS Season 24 premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT. NCIS: New York follows at 9 p.m., making its series debut, and NCIS: Origins closes the night at 10 p.m.
That means viewers can move through three distinct versions of the franchise in a single evening.
The first hour follows the present-day flagship team and brings Tony back. The second introduces a completely new team in New York. The third travels back to the 1990s to explore the early career of Gibbs.
It is an unusually ambitious way to showcase how large the NCIS universe has become.
The Franchise Is Connecting Its Past and Future
There is also something symbolic about the lineup.
Tony represents one of the franchise’s most recognizable past eras. Sam Hanna represents another beloved chapter through NCIS: Los Angeles, while also becoming part of the franchise’s future. Young Gibbs represents the beginning of a character whose history has become central to the NCIS mythology.
Put together, the three shows demonstrate how the franchise can move backward and forward at the same time.
The challenge will be maintaining distinct identities. NCIS: New York cannot simply feel like another version of the flagship series, while Origins needs to remain more than a collection of references to the original show. Meanwhile, Season 24 has to continue telling the stories of its current characters even with the attention surrounding Tony’s return.
What Fans Should Watch for This Fall
Tony’s return will obviously be one of the biggest talking points when Season 24 begins. His interactions with McGee and the current team could provide some of the season’s most nostalgic moments, while the larger storyline may reveal why he has returned after so many years away.
For NCIS: New York, the biggest question is whether Sam and Nick can establish the kind of chemistry that has defined successful NCIS teams in the past. A strong central partnership could give the new series a solid foundation.
And for NCIS: Origins, Mark Harmon’s return creates an entirely different kind of anticipation. The present-day mystery should gradually reveal more about the events that shaped Gibbs during his early career, while Austin Stowell’s younger version continues that journey in the 1990s.
Each show therefore has something different to offer.
A Bigger Universe Than Ever
The NCIS franchise has spent years expanding beyond its original series, but the fall 2026 lineup may be one of its most ambitious moments yet. CBS is not simply adding another spinoff. It is creating an entire night built around different generations and versions of the same television universe.
The combination of Tony DiNozzo’s return, Sam Hanna’s move to New York and Mark Harmon’s expanded role in Origins gives longtime viewers several reasons to tune in. At the same time, the new characters introduced in NCIS: New York provide an opportunity to bring fresh energy to the franchise.
The key will be whether all of these pieces can coexist without making the universe feel repetitive. If the new teams develop their own personalities while the returning characters are used meaningfully, the franchise could enter another particularly strong period.
This fall, the NCIS universe will be bigger than ever, with three very different stories arriving on the same night. Season 24 brings Michael Weatherly back as Tony DiNozzo for a season-long arc. NCIS: New York introduces a new team led in part by returning favorite Sam Hanna. And NCIS: Origins gives Mark Harmon his biggest onscreen role in the prequel yet while continuing Austin Stowell’s journey as young Gibbs. All three premieres arrive Tuesday, October 6, making it one of the most significant nights in the franchise’s history. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, the next chapter of NCIS is shaping up to be one worth watching.