LL Cool J & Scott Caan Bring Back NCIS's Lost Mojo In New New York Spinoff | Review

CBS CBS's franchise is expanding again with NCIS: New York starring Sam Hanna & Scott Caan, and the new spinoff is bringing back the universe's old charm. Published Oct 6, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT 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. Expanding the franchise appears to be worth it, as NCIS: New York brings back the classic charm that universe originally made it so beloved. While CBS's fall 2026 lineup is dominated by returning shows, the Eye Network has a few new shows in their slate as well. As interesting as Eternally Yours and Cupertino are, arguably the most anticipated of the bunch is NCIS: New York — the latest effort from the long-running franchise to further flesh out the universe. Spearheaded by LL Cool J, who is reprising his role as Sam Hanna, he gets a new partner in Scott Caan's Nick Schaeffer. Rounding up the cast is Jennifer Beals as Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Robyn Wells, Jacqueline Byers as Addy Ross, Shane Harper as Wyatt Sellers, and Devin Druid as Sean Sullivan. CBS sent the pilot of the exciting new release, which establishes the series' future by laying the foundation of the New York-based team and how Sam gets entangled and eventually joins them. Having been on the air for over two decades, the NCIS franchise is no stranger to successfully launching offshoots. However, as the years pass by, it also goes through countless changes. While that's not exactly bad, there's definitely interest in the earlier years of the universe, and that's something that NCIS: New York is trying to fill in. NCIS: New York Feels & Looks Different CBS From the get-go, NCIS: New York already looks different than its peers. Aside from the ambitious opening sequence, which sees Sam in an overseas operation, once he lands in New York, the series immediately makes the most out of its backdrop, with the team's investigation taking them to various spots in the city. When the project was first announced, it was unclear if it was going to film on location, as the flagship shoots in California even though it's supposedly set in Washington DC. The decision pays off immediately, as NCIS: New York quickly separates itself from the rest of the universe. It's a throwback to the days when CBS had the flagship running alongside its Los Angeles and New Orleans spinoffs, and yet, each one of them had their own unique flavor. While Timothy McGee and the rest of the MCRT's criminal busts are quieter but more suspenseful, Sam's new team takes on bad guys in a more straightforward, almost playful way. Past the aesthetic of NCIS: New York, the way the new Navy Yard office operates makes it clear that it will have a different flavor than anything right now in the interconnected franchise. It's grittier and more hands-on. While Timothy McGee and the rest of the MCRT's criminal busts are quieter but more suspenseful, Sam's new team takes on bad guys in a more straightforward, almost playful way. The bar raid in "Pilot," even though only involving LL Cool J's returning agent, Nick, Addy, and Wyatt, felt like a tactical team on the move. It's curious if this will be the route of NCIS: New York moving forward, or if it will be a mix bag of cases. In any case, the opening mystery for the new launch does a great job laying the groundwork for Sam's homecoming while also introducing his new team. CBS's New York Spinoff Is The Return Of Classic NCIS Charm CBS Before specifics of the spinoff were revealed, NCIS: New York's announcement was met with some pushback. Some of the major gripes had something to do with LL Cool J's return in light of other offshoots' cancellation, not to mention Caan being recast as Hawii Five-0's Danny Williams to Nick. Eventually, it was revealed that CBS specifically wanted both actors to lead the new series, and "Pilot" effectively explains why in a couple of ways. For starters, having someone as recognizable as LL Cool J makes it easier to market the show. Aside from the wider population, those who have been invested in Sam's story since NCIS: Los Angeles are going to check the new show, at the very least. Having a legacy character return also allows the series to have a built-in lore to explore despite being a new series. Secondly, Caan's return and recasting is immediately justified in NCIS: New York's premiere. CBS needed someone to complement Sam's personality, and the new launch had its work cut out for them, considering his great partnership with Chris O'Donnell's G. Callen, and the actor's chemistry with LL Cool J is promising thus far. The pair's banters are top-notch and are reminiscent of the witty and easy back-and-forth that old NCIS shows excelled at. Nick's welcoming demeanor towards his new partner is a breath of fresh air. It's great that NCIS: New York moves away from the bickering dynamic between partners that has been done countless times before. All in all, NCIS: New York opens with a strong-enough pilot that effectively addresses the urgent concerns plaguing it. With all the story explanation and character introduction now out of the way, all it has to do is maintain what it has started to prove that it has legs to last . NCIS: New York season 1 airs every Tuesday, 9 PM ET, on CBS.