CBS has a magic touch when it comes to procedurals — especially the NCIS franchise. From the flagship series to successful spin-offs like NCIS: Los Angeles, New Orleans, Hawai‘i, and most recently Sydney and Origins, it’s a brand that’s proven it can thrive across any location. But not every idea, no matter how promising, makes it to air — and NCIS: Red is one of the most fascinating “what could’ve been” stories in franchise history.
Back in 2013, Sex and the City and The Wonder Years alum John Corbett was set to lead a brand-new NCIS team unlike any before — a mobile unit that traveled the country solving cases. Titled NCIS: Red, the series was introduced through a backdoor pilot embedded in Season 4 of NCIS: Los Angeles, in a two-part episode aptly titled “Red.” The buzz was real. The cast was stacked. The concept was fresh. And then… it disappeared.
What Was NCIS: Red Supposed to Be?
Unlike its predecessors that focused on fixed offices in D.C., LA, or New Orleans, Red centered on a roving NCIS team that investigated crimes wherever the Navy took them. Think less headquarters, more high-stakes road trip.
Corbett played Roy Quaid, a seasoned NCIS special agent turned analyst who comes out of retirement to lead the field team once again. Alongside him? A powerhouse cast including Kim Raver (Grey’s Anatomy), Scott Grimes (The Orville), Edwin Hodge, and the late Miguel Ferrer, who would’ve crossed over from NCIS: LA as Assistant Director Owen Granger.
The team dynamic was already well sketched out: Raver as the fearless team leader, Grimes bringing the tech-savvy wit, and Hodge playing a street-smart computer expert named Kai. With a cast this solid and a clear franchise blueprint, all signs pointed to an easy green light.
So What Went Wrong?
Despite the prep, the pilot buzz, and a built-in audience, CBS pulled the plug before NCIS: Red could lift off. At the time, network execs were cautious about oversaturating the NCIS brand. Nina Tassler, CBS Entertainment President, explained the decision with careful diplomacy, saying:
“Sometimes spin-offs work, and sometimes they don’t. Protecting [the franchise] was really important.”
The timing also played a role. The network had NCIS: New Orleans quietly in development, and launching two new spin-offs simultaneously might have split attention and budgets. And in 2013, streaming platforms like Paramount+ (then CBS All Access) weren’t yet an option for test-driving franchise extensions. If NCIS: Red had been pitched today, it likely would’ve landed on a streamer in a heartbeat.
The Road Not Taken
In hindsight, NCIS: Red feels like an intriguing missed opportunity. A mobile NCIS unit? A fresh ensemble cast led by the always-charismatic John Corbett? It was a concept ahead of its time. Interestingly, a decade later, NCIS: Sydney and NCIS: Origins are proving that the franchise still has gas in the tank for experimentation — just with different names and different cities.
As for NCIS: Red, it remains a fascinating “what if” in CBS history — a bold attempt that never quite got its moment. But as we’ve learned from this franchise time and again… nothing stays buried forever.
Would you have watched NCIS: Red? Tell us your thoughts — and who you’d cast in a reboot if CBS gave it a second chance today.
