CBS Is Officially Ending NCIS Series' Undisputed Best Run

Published Nov 11, 2026, 8:15 AM EST Ana Dumaraog is a Writer and Editor at Screen Rant, where she expertly covers Network TV offerings, among other things She has spearheaded the effort to make the site an authority on broadcast shows, initially starting with The Big Bang Theory franchise, NCIS, and One Chicago before taking on the specialization in general. Ana has also covered a wide-spread of topics in the past — from franchises like, the MCU and Star Wars, to classic TV favorites, such as Frasier and MASH. Ana brings clarity and enthusiasm to every story she tackles—whether reporting on new releases or offering deep dives into fan-favorite franchises. Her coverage translates complex entertainment developments into engaging, audience-focused content. Warning! Spoilers ahead for the NCIS franchise.The NCIS franchise has been a hit on all cylinders this cycle, but one series is ending its best run disappointingly earlier than the rest. Donald Bellisario and Don McGill's famed procedural has been a staple of CBS's programming since 2003. Since then, the flagship has created the franchise, birthing multiple spinoffs along the way. In CBS's fall 2026 slate, the Eye Network strengthens its commitment to the universe with its revamped Super Tuesday lineup, which groups all the Navy-related projects in one night. Each show in NCIS's active lineup has something fresh and interesting to offer viewers. NCIS season 24 marks the beginning of a new era with the return of Michael Weatherly's Tony Dinozzo; NCIS: New York sees LL Cool J's Sam Hanna leading his own team, and NCIS: Origins gets Mark Harmon's Leroy Jethro Gibbs out of retirement in Alaska. While everyone has their favorites, it's arguably fair to say that the way David J. North's prequel series has been the best in terms of storytelling among the three. Unfortunately, CBS is ending its run earlier than its peers. CBS Is Moving Forward With NCIS: Origins Season 3's Early Run CBS Ahead of the ongoing network TV cycle, CBS announced that NCIS: Origins season 3's run will be significantly shortened — slashing its episode count from 18 to just 10 episodes. Thus far, the prequel has already released five episodes, which means that it has officially arrived at the midpoint mark of its run. The decision to slash its output stems from CBS's scheduling, slotting NCIS: Sydney season 4 to the same timeslot once the winter season rolls around — something that is becoming more popular among traditional broadcasters. That said, the verdict came long before the public found out about what's in store for the period series for its junior year run. Bolstered by Harmon's full-time return as Old Gibbs, not to mention the string of beloved franchise characters coming back, all on top of the procedural aspect of the series from its '90s timeline, and NCIS: Origins season 3 has been such a delight to watch every week. So much so, that there was hope that somehow, CBS might have a surprise twist regarding its run with a last-minute extension in any form. Sadly, that isn't the case, as NCIS: Origins season 3 is re-affirmed to be ending early as originally planned. What To Expect From The Back Half Of NCIS: Origins Season 3 CBS With only five episodes left before NCIS: Origins season 3 ends, expect that long-running stories introduced early on will have some sort of resolution. It has already been confirmed that CBS is bringing back three more key people from Gibbs' story — Roma Maffia, Muse Watson, and Joe Spano as Old Vera Strickland, Frank Gibbs, and Tobias Fornell. They join Weatherly and Emily Wickersham as Dinozzo and Ellie Bishop in this modern arc for Old Gibbs. Considering the major reveal that Lala Dominguez didn't die in that plane crash that Old Gibbs previously revealed, it's safe to say that Vera and Mike's respective comebacks will have something to do with that. As for Fornell, his storyline might be tied to the bigger conspiracy at hand. In any case, seeing them back would be a big treat, not just for fans of NCIS: Origins, but also those who have followed Harmon's character from his days in the NCIS flagship. NCIS: Origins Release Date October 14, 2024 Network CBS Cast Austin Stowell Leroy Jethro Gibbs Kyle Schmid Special Agent Mike Franks