For five years, NCIS held an impressive TV record, and the fact that it’s broken by a new series makes CBS’ latest hit more impressive. Created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill, NCIS is technically an off-shoot of JAG — something that is easily forgotten, considering how long the series has been on the air. Currently the third-longest-running scripted show, only behind NBC’s Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU, NCIS has survived all kinds of changes throughout its two-decade stint. What makes this better is that NCIS has also remained at the top of the ratings chart.
In recent years, there has been an evolution in the way that the public consumes media. The arrival of several streaming services, not to mention the continued progression of cable projects, has forced network TV to upgrade so it has a chance at competing. Despite the changing entertainment landscapes, however, the 2023-2034 rating data reveals that traditional broadcasts are still king, with NCIS season 21 one of the most-watched shows on the small screen. Unlike the last half-decade, however, there’s a new king in terms of viewership shares, knocking out the legacy procedural at the top of the list.
NCIS’ Five-Year Most-Watched TV Show Streak Is Broken By Tracker
Per the latest data, NCIS season 21 garnered around 9.7 million weekly viewers. Those are outstanding numbers, considering people’s entertainment options nowadays, but it isn’t enough to secure its sixth consecutive year as the most-watched series. Instead, it is edged out by fellow CBS show, Tracker, which just debuted during the delayed 2023-2024 season right after Super Bowl LVIII. The Justin Hartley-led project had 10.8 million weekly viewers, more than a million more people than NCIS. It marks the actor’s return to the small screen after his successful stint as Kevin Pearson in Dan Fogleman’s This Is Us.
On the flip side, NCIS’ record speaks volumes of the kind of base it has built for over two decades despite losing the number 1 spot to Tracker. The last two years have been challenging for the show, in light of a couple of big departures, starting with Emily Wickersham’s Ellie Bishop, followed by Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs. NCIS season 21 marks the first time that it didn’t have any more original characters, considering the death of David McCallum’s Ducky. Despite the changes, the public still continues to tune in every week.
Tracker’s Non-Ensemble Premise Makes Its NCIS Win More Impressive
As it is, Tracker shooting to the top of the ratings chart is already impressive, considering that it’s a new IP based on the 2019 novel The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver. In any case, the lone wolf heroes have always been great protagonists, as recently proven by the success of Reacher on Amazon Prime Video. However, a closer look makes Tracker’s dethroning of NCIS more impressive. Aside from knocking out a well-beloved show, Hartley’s project is technically also not an ensemble series. It features a principal cast, but at its core, Colter Shaw is its only constant player.
The last time NCIS failed to be TV’s most-watched scripted series, it was beaten by The Big Bang Theory, which was not only an established brand but also an ensemble project. It’s also worth noting, that the 2018-2019 TV season was also the final year of Sheldon and the rest of the Pasadena gang on the small screen, so there was increased interest in tuning into the Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady-created project. Once The Big Bang Theory ended, NCIS bounced back and reclaimed the top spot, and it maintained that until Tracker’s debut.
What Tracker’s Success Means for The Future Of NCIS
There is nothing wrong with some friendly competition. Both shows aren’t fighting for their respective lives, so Tracker’s success has very little to no impact on what comes next for NCIS. Not being at the top of the list shouldn’t matter that much to CBS, considering the main show’s consistent showing throughout the years. Despite being dethroned during the 2023-2024 period, NCIS is already confirmed to move forward with season 22. Beyond that, the franchise is set to continue expanding, with a couple of spinoffs coming, starting with Harmon’s NCIS: Origins, which will tackle Gibbs’ origins story with the agency.
Overall, CBS is the real winner here, having two of the most-watched shows on TV. The network doesn’t have to choose between NCIS and Tracker; instead, they can both keep their top-rated offerings, considering that they have very different premises, albeit both being procedurals. If anything, maintaining them will be tremendously helpful for the broadcaster to continue their dominance over their competitors.
