CBS has kept fans on edge waiting to hear if NCIS is cancelled, but news broke today that the network has decided to renew the long-running procedural drama series for a 19th season – but there may be some changes. Heading into a potential NCIS Season 19, there was a question over whether star Mark Harmon would return. The actor’s contract was up after Season 18 ended, and CBS just cancelled the spinoff NCIS: New Orleans after seven seasons.
But THR reports that Harmon was told that if he decided not to return for NCIS Season 19, CBS was likely going to cancel the show. Given that kind of ultimatum, and not wanting to leave his co-workers or fans hanging, Harmon decided to renew his contract and return for Season 19, which is ultimately the entire reason CBS is renewing the series.
However, it’s unclear if Harmon will be back for all the episodes of NCIS Season 19. One option that was floated during the negotiation process was for the actor to return for a limited number of episodes, which would push Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs to a more supporting role. It’s unclear if that’s the case, and it’s also unclear how long NCIS Season 19 will be. Previous seasons of the show were traditionally 24 episodes long, but the pandemic shortened both Season 17 (which was 20 episodes) and the current Season 18, which will conclude after just 16 episodes. So it’s possible NCIS Season 19 has a limited number of episodes as well.
If you’re wondering why CBS would cancel a successful show like NCIS had Harmon decided to leave, well TV shows get much more expensive the longer they’re on the air. So while NCIS is still a ratings hit for the network, the actors, writers, and producers are all making more money with each subsequent season. For now, however, it appears the show is profitable enough with Harmon onboard for CBS to continue.
NCIS premiered back in 2003, right after CBS had launched the massive hit CSI which then spawned a flurry of other mystery crime procedural-type shows. Harmon has been with the series since its inception, and he’s coming up on 19 years straight in this job, so it’s hard to blame him if he’s looking towards the exit door. For now, though, fans can rest easy knowing that Gibbs will be back for NCIS Season 19, and there will in fact be a Season 19.
And despite the cancellation of NCIS: New Orleans, a new spinoff NCIS: Hawaii is currently in the works while NCIS: Los Angeles is awaiting word on whether it will be renewed for a 13th season.
