In the early 2000s, NBC was riding high with their Law & Order franchise. CBS looked at their lineup, and didn’t find a similar show that could rival NBC’s legal drama juggernaut. So, in 2003, CBS greenlit a military procedural created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill called NCIS, which follows a team of special agents who work to solve crimes regarding the U.S. Navy.
It was a huge gamble to take on NBC’s legendary series head-to-head, but it proved to be a big hit, and with 487 episodes spread out over 22 seasons, it’s safe to say that CBS found a show that could go toe-to-toe with Law & Order, and has even spawned its own franchise consisting of six spin-offs as-to-date. So, we’re going to look at the spin-off series and rank them from worst to best.
6
‘NCIS: Sydney’ (2023–)
It pains me to put NCIS: Sydney here as I really tried to get into this show, but I just couldn’t. That’s not to say that this spin-off is a bad show, but it’s one that just doesn’t hold your interest for long and isn’t in the same league quality-wise as its parent show.
NCIS: Sydney stars Olivia Swann and Todd Lasance as NCIS agents who work with the Australian Federal Police to investigate crimes related to the U.S. Navy. Essentially, it’s the same show but set in beautiful Sydney, Australia (fun fact: the real NCIS Australian office is actually based in Perth, over 2,000 miles away from Sydney). While I can appreciate that series creator Morgan O’Neill wanted to remain faithful to the parent series, having it set in sun-drenched Sydney strips away from the gritty aesthetic of NCIS, which makes it hard for viewers to get into. Here’s hoping that Season 3 can hook audiences more than its previous seasons.
5
‘NCIS: Hawai’i’ (2021–2024)
In a lot of ways, NCIS: Hawai’i suffers from the same issues that plague its Sydney counterpart. Starring Vanessa Lachey and Alex Tarrant, this spin-off follows the NCIS team that’s based out of the Pearl Harbor field office. Like most of the spin-offs on this list, NCIS: Hawai’i doesn’t deviate from the structure of its parent series. It still sees a team of special agents investigating and stopping crime within the U.S. Navy, just, this time, on the Hawaiian Islands.
So, let’s circle back to the opening sentence: NCIS: Hawai’i’s setting really takes away from the rough nature that defined the original NCIS; and while the location made a little more sense than Sydney, it still suffers from the same problems that make that spin-off not as likable as the others. I’ll give credit where credit is due: the cast is pretty solid, and some of the crimes the Hawai’i team solve are intriguing. However, the series just can’t rise to the standard of the other spin-offs on this list, which is why this is the shortest-lived spin-off in the franchise.
4
‘NCIS: Origins’ (2024–)
Leroy Jethro GIbbs (Mark Harmon) is a legendary figure in the police procedural universe. He is the face of NCIS, and the biggest reason why that series took off so quickly. So, it was only natural that a prequel series detailing how Gibbs came to be would be in the works, and in 2024, we got it in NCIS: Origins.
Seeing Gibbs be a rookie among a team of seasoned NCIS veterans is unique and gives viewers another dynamic to the often stoic Gibbs.
The premise of this spin-off is fairly simple as it details the early career of Gibbs, played by Austin Stowell, as a Probationary NIS Agent while still grieving over the murder of his family. Seeing Gibbs be a rookie among a team of seasoned NCIS veterans is unique and gives viewers another dynamic to the often stoic Gibbs. As a bonus treat, Harmon narrates the series, which lends the spin-off a link to the present. While it’s not (yet) on the same level as its fellow spin-off, I have to give NCIS: Origins credit for diving into the traumatic backstory of the beloved Gibbs. Here’s hoping Season 2 won’t spoil things!
3
‘NCIS: New Orleans’ (2014–2021)
The third NCIS spin-off to premiere, NCIS: New Orleans brings a big old bowl of Big Easy charm and bravado to the beloved franchise, and it largely works like a charm. Here, Scott Bakula stars as the head of the New Orleans NCIS field office as he and his team solve crimes related to the U.S. Navy in sultry New Orleans and throughout the Sun Belt.
Right off the bat, this is probably the best cast NCIS team outside the original. This is a team full of eccentric personalities who are great at investigating and solving crimes; and watching this team at its best was a treat week-in-and-week-out. While the storylines in NCIS: New Orleans were a bit weak compared to the original and its Los Angeles counterpart, the Big Easy team did have some memorable cases, such as the domestic terrorist attack investigation that led to Brody’s (Zoe McLellan) resignation at the beginning of Season 3, and Dwayne Pride (Bakula) nearly being shot to death in Season 4. NCIS: New Orleans’ run ended in 2021, but it will forever be one of the best spin-offs in our hearts.
2
‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ (2025–)
Outside of Gibbs, Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) are, perhaps, the two most popular characters in the NCIS franchise. Their chemistry is strong, and they worked well together, helping Gibbs and the team crack open cases. So, 12 years after their final appearance together in the parent series, creator John McNamara decided to reunite these two in NCIS: Tony & Ziva, which surprised me in a good way.
NCIS: Tony & Ziva centers around the events that took place in Europe in the parent series, and while I didn’t think I would be as involved in this spin-off. However, after I finished watching the first episode, I was convinced that McNamara did the right thing to bring these two fan-favorites back. The chemistry between Weatherly and de Pablo is just as dynamic and exciting as it was during their time in the original series, and we finally get some resolution to what happened in Europe between these two. If you’re a fan of NCIS and have yet to see Tony & Ziva, what are you waiting for?
1
‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ (2009–2023)
After NCIS became a massive hit for CBS, it was only a matter of time before the network greenlit a spin-off. That spin-off came in September 2009 with NCIS: Los Angeles, with LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell leading a stacked cast that shined from the pilot episode all the way to its final episode.
As with most of the shows on this list, NCIS: Los Angeles follows the same tried-and-true formula that made its parent series a huge success. O’Donnell and Cool J led a team of NCIS agents — which included the likes of Eric Christian Olsen, Daniela Ruah, and Barrett Foa — based in Los Angeles that solve crimes that involve naval officers; but, it was the storylines that truly made this spin-off shine, and is almost on par with the plotlines of NCIS. With a spectacular cast, great storylines, and memorable moments, NCIS: Los Angeles was the perfect spin-off to carry the NCIS banner, hands down.
