“Sad news: Michael Weatherly, the star of the hit series NCIS, has passed away.” md20

With the holiday season in full swing, many are wondering if they can gather with friends and family to watch NCIS tonight, but there won’t be a new episode from CBS’s Navy procedural. The flagship series left its story on a major cliffhanger, with Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) getting her first mission with NCIS Elite.

CBS has moved all installments of its Navy franchise to Tuesday night, where they typically air back-to-back throughout prime time. The flagship is followed by the franchise’s remaining spinoffs, its prequel, NCIS: Origins, and its international offering, NCIS: Sydney. Still, all the shows are taking a break this week and won’t air new episodes until the holiday season is over.

Why There’s No New NCIS, Origins, or Sydney This Week (December 23)

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Unfortunately for NCIS fans, there are no new episodes of the flagship, Origins, and Sydney tonight, December 23, due to the network’s holiday hiatus. Most of CBS’s shows are on a lengthy break, getting some breathing room after massive fall finales. As usual, the network is taking a holiday hiatus to accommodate seasonal programming for Christmas and New Year’s festivities.

Instead of each installment of NCIS this Tuesday, CBS’s prime-time block is dedicated to airing the 48th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, an entertainment special celebrating lifetime artistic achievements. This year’s event will honor musicians George Strait and Gloria Gaynor, rock band KISS, entertainer Michael Crawford, and legendary actor Sylvester Stallone, with President Donald Trump hosting (via CBS).

The broadcast will run from 8-10:30 pm Eastern this evening, covering NCIS’s usual time slot. If fans still want their dose of Navy action this week, they could tune into past episodes instead. The fall finale of NCIS Season 23 is a Christmas-themed episode, and fans can revisit Episode 9, “Heaven and Nature,” on Paramount+, which aired December 16.

When NCIS, Origins, and Sydney Return

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Fans will have to wait a while for the flagship, with NCIS Season 23 returning a bit later this year. The flagship will air NCIS Season 23, Episode 10, “Bridges” on February 24, 2026. That means the original show will be on a hiatus of over two months, leaving viewers to wonder how it will explain its cliffhanger.

NCIS: Origins will be on an even more extended hiatus, having aired its fall finale, Season 2, Episode 8, “End of the Road,” a week earlier on December 9. The Leroy Jethro Gibbs prequel series will also return next year on February 24, following up the flagship’s midseason return with NCIS: Origins Season 2, Episode 9, “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.”

NCIS: Sydney will also return on February 24, though what to expect from the international offering has been confused by recent disruption. The fall finale, NCIS: Sydney Season 3, Episode 9, “South of Nowhere,” was slated to air last Tuesday after the fall finale of NCIS Season 23. However, NCIS: Sydney’s fall finale was pulled hours before its release.

What To Expect When The NCIS Franchise Returns

Image via CBS

While they have to wait a while for the shows to return, NCIS fans are in for massive developments when the procedurals return next year. NCIS Season 23, Episode 10, “Bridges” hints at Knight and Jimmy Palmer’s (Brian Dietzen) relationship evolving as the team investigates a murder, and Alden Parker (Gary Cole) contending with identity theft.

Still, it’s unclear if the return of NCIS Season 23 will immediately address Eleanor Bishop’s (Emily Wickersham) shocking return in the fall finale, or if the procedural will let the mystery simmer. That said, fans can expect the procedural to delve into Ellie’s mysterious fugitive plot sooner or later, setting up an exciting second half of NCIS Season 23.

NCIS: Origins promises to deepen Gibbs’ (Austin Stowell) emotional journey when the prequel returns with Season 2, Episode 9, “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow,” on February 24. The fall finale of NCIS: Origins saw Leroy marrying Diane (Kathleen Kenny), effectively canceling Gibbs’ romance story with Lala Dominguez (Mariel Molino). The prequel’s return will doubtlessly explore Gibbs’ new life.

NCIS: Sydney is also slated to return on February 24, and it appears the spinoff will air its fall finale at that time (via IMDb) and then continue with its programming as expected. Things are heating up for Michelle Mackey (Olivia Swann). However, the international spinoff hasn’t been as compelling as its counterparts this TV cycle.