The return of NCIS and its sister shows has been delayed. CBS has pushed back the mid-season premieres of NCIS, NCIS: Origins, and NCIS: Sydney by a couple of days, moving them from February 24 to a new date.
Return of NCIS, NCIS: Origins, and NCIS: Sydney delayed by a week
The reason for the NCIS delay is a major national event. The 2026 State of the Union Address, where President Donald Trump will give his annual speech to Congress, is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, at 9 p.m. This preempts the network’s regular primetime lineup. According to a report by TVLine, CBS has opted to shift all three NCIS shows to the following week.
The new premiere night, Tuesday, March 3, will see the franchise return in its usual order. NCIS kicks off at 8 p.m. EST, followed by NCIS: Origins at 9 p.m., and NCIS: Sydney rounding out the night at 10 p.m. EST.
This extension means fans will experience an 11 to 12-week gap between new episodes, following the December fall finales. When the shows return, they will finally answer major cliffhangers.
The flagship NCIS left off with Jess Knight receiving a shocking NCIS Elite assignment to track former colleague Ellie Bishop. NCIS: Origins concluded with a joyous wedding between Gibbs and Diane Sterling.
The schedule change also provides a new potential slot for the postponed NCIS: Sydney fall finale. Its planned December 16 episode was pulled following the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia. While CBS has not officially confirmed, it is presumed this episode will now air on March 3.
For those unaware, broadcast networks routinely adjust their schedules for presidential addresses, often resulting in week-long delays for popular series. This same scenario happened in December when networks interrupted programming for a primetime presidential recap speech.
While the extra wait may be frustrating for dedicated viewers, the delay is brief. The entire NCIS lineup is now going to be released on Tuesday, March 3, on CBS.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on ComingSoon.
