science

NCIS (franchise)

NCIS (franchise) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand NCIS (franchise) rather than just read about it. In short: NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is a media franchise of American television programs originally created by Donald P. Bellisario and currently broadcast on CBS, all of which deal with military related criminal investigations based on the Naval Criminal Investigative Service of the United States Department of the Navy.

Key takeaways

NCIS (franchise) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect NCIS (franchise) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NCIS (franchise) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is a media franchise of American television programs originally created by Donald P. Bellisario and currently broadcast on CBS, all of which deal with military related criminal investigations based on the Naval Criminal Investigative Service of the United States Department of the Navy. In 2003, NCIS was introduced via a backdoor pilot from the TV show JAG. Over the years, NCIS itself has spawned several spin-offs: NCIS: Los Angeles (2009), NCIS: New Orleans (2014), NCIS: Hawaiʻi (2021), NCIS: Sydney (2023), NCIS: Origins (2024), NCIS: Tony & Ziva (2025) and NCIS: New York (2026). NCIS: Los Angeles had a proposed spin-off, NCIS: Red, but it was not picked up by CBS. Eight television series make up the NCIS franchise: NCIS, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Hawaiʻi, Sydney, Origins, Tony & Ziva, and New York. All series in total amount to 1,124 episodes across 53 seasons of television. The main NCIS series, which is the longest-running show of the franchise, premiered its twenty-third season on October 14, 2025.

Series The first three series (as well as the intended NCIS: Red), were spun off via a two-part episode from an established series, serving in effect as a backdoor pilot.

NCIS (2003–present)

NCIS: Los Angeles (2009–2023) NCIS: Los Angeles premiered on September 22, 2009 as the first spin-off of NCIS. The series starred rapper LL Cool J and actor Chris O'Donnell as special agents Sam Hanna and Grisha Callen, who worked for the Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles under operations manager Henrietta "Hetty" Lange (Linda Hunt). A two-part backdoor pilot for the series aired during the sixth season of NCIS earlier in the year. The series concluded on May 21, 2023, after its 13th and final season.

NCIS: New Orleans (2014–2021) NCIS: New Orleans premiered on September 23, 2014, as the second spin-off of NCIS; it followed an NCIS division based in New Orleans led by Supervisory Special Agent Dwayne Cassius Pride (Scott Bakula). A two-part backdoor pilot aired during the eleventh season of NCIS.

NCIS: Hawaiʻi (2021–2024)

NCIS: Hawaiʻi premiered September 20, 2021, as the third spin-off of NCIS; the series followed the staff of the NCIS Pearl Harbor Field Office in Hawaii led by Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey), the first female lead in the NCIS franchise. On April 26, 2024, the series was cancelled after three seasons.

NCIS: Sydney (2023–present)

On February 16, 2022, Paramount announced that a spin-off set in Sydney, Australia had been ordered by Network 10 and Paramount+; Shane Brennan had been announced as the showrunner for the spin-off, which would be the first set outside of the United States. The series premiered in Australia on Paramount+ on November 10, 2023, and aired on Network 10 from May 15, 2024. It was also announced that in the United States, amid the suspension of other NCIS productions due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, the series would also begin airing on a delayed basis on CBS from November 14. The series was available for streaming in selected territories internationally on Paramount+. Its second season premiered on February 7, 2025. The cast is led by Olivia Swann and Todd Lasance, with Sean Sagar, Tuuli Narkle, Mavournee Hazel and William McInnes.

NCIS: Origins (2024–present)

In January 2024, CBS ordered the prequel series NCIS: Origins; set in the 1990s and executive produced by Mark Harmon, it follows the beginning of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' career as a special agent of the NIS's Camp Pendleton branch, under a team led by Mike Franks. The series stars Austin Stowell as a younger Gibbs, with Harmon reprising his role as the present-day, retired Gibbs, who serves as narrator. The series premiered on October 14, 2024.

NCIS: Tony & Ziva (2025)

On February 28, 2024, it was announced that Paramount+ had ordered another spin-off of NCIS focusing on Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo's characters Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David. On May 7, 2024, the official Instagram for the NCIS franchise presented a call between Weatherly and de Pablo where the spin-off title was confirmed to be NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Production began in June 2024 in Budapest. CBS Studios produces Tony & Ziva. John McNamara is the showrunner and executive produces with Weatherly, de Pablo, Laurie Lieser, Christina Strain, Shelley Meals and Mairzee Almas. It was cancelled after one season on December 19, 2025.

NCIS: New York

On April 15, 2026, it was announced that CBS had ordered NCIS: New York to series for a premiere in the 2026–27 television season; it will co-star LL Cool J and Scott Caan, with LL Cool J reprising his NCIS: Los Angeles character Sam Hanna as he returns to his hometown of New York City. The pilot episode was written by R. Scott Gemmill, who had previously served as a showrunner for Los Angeles.

Main cast

Crossovers This is a complete list of crossovers, from only within the franchise (crossovers from other series, such as the franchises' backdoor pilot in JAG, are excluded). All characters, main, recurring, and shared guest stars, are credited.

Theme songs

Reception NCIS, voted America's favorite television series in 2011, finished its tenth season as the most-watched television series in the U.S. during 2012–13 U.S. network television season; and is broadcast in over 200 territories worldwide. As of the end of the 2014–15 U.S. network television season, NCIS remains TV's most watched drama series. Spin-off NCIS: New Orleans ended its first season as the second most watched drama on CBS, and the fifth most watched series on TV. NCIS: Los Angeles ended its fifth season as the fourth most watched series on TV, and the second most watched drama.

Games

NCIS (2010) NCIS is a video game released in 2010 for iOS, published by GameHouse. It's a mix between a hidden object game and a mini-game collection. Gamezebo said that NCIS is about exactly what you would expect from a licensed game on a mobile phone. It's quick, easy, and simple." AppSpy summarized: "Fans of the TV series may feel like they can get something out of this game, but from the corny lines to the poorly gathered evidence, NCIS: The Game from the TV Show is a game that's hard to recommend at all."

NCIS (2011)

NCIS is an adventure game developed by Ubisoft Shanghai and published by Ubisoft for Nintendo 3DS (as NCIS 3D), PlayStation 3, Wii, Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in 2011. It is based on the original NCIS TV series.

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NCIS (franchise)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NCIS (franchise) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to NCIS (franchise) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about NCIS (franchise) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of NCIS (franchise)

In research: NCIS (franchise) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses NCIS (franchise) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: NCIS (franchise) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Media franchises introduced in 2003, NCIS (franchise), Paramount Skydance franchises, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NCIS (franchise) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study NCIS (franchise) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NCIS (franchise) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain NCIS (franchise) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NCIS (franchise) in simple terms?

Why does NCIS (franchise) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study NCIS (franchise)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on NCIS (franchise).