NCIS is one of the most popular TV shows, and for good reason, but there are also many similar shows that deserve the same attention. NCIS has been on the air for over 20 years and has also led to the formation of several NCIS spinoffs. The show has managed to maintain its popularity despite numerous cast changes and character exits, highlighting the success of its formula. Recent NCIS seasons have even revealed the exit of major main characters, demonstrating its ongoing development.
NCIS’s popularity over the years can be attributed to its familiarity, routine, and likable characters. However, NCIS is just one of many procedural TV shows that highlight charismatic characters who work together to bring criminals to justice. The niche of NCIS is that it focuses on crimes related to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, and while every show has its own focus, there are a few crime shows that stand out as being most similar to NCIS.
15. NCIS: Los Angeles (2009-2023)
A New Team Takes On Cases In LA
NCIS fans are in luck if they are looking for similar shows as there are plenty of spinoffs in the franchise that they can check out next. Like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCIS has simply taken the set-up and premise of the show to new locations with a new set of characters taking over the story. The first NCIS spinoff came in 2009 with NCIS: Los Angeles starring Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J, which ran until 2023.
While the Los Ageles-based show also dealt with a team of law enforcement officers focusing on military crimes, there were also a lot of undercover missions explored in this series which added a fun element. It was followed by NCIS: New Orleans, which starred Scott Bakula in the lead role. There have also been NCIS: Hawaii and the Australian series NCIS: Sydney, all of which offer the kind of police procedural excitement fans of the genre will love.
14. NCIS: Origins (2024-)
The Adventures Of Young Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Stepping away from the typical NCIS spinoffs that changed locations and characters, NCIS: Origins provided the franchise with its first prequel series. Mark Harmon’s Gibbs left NCIS in season 19, taking away one of the show’s most beloved characters. However, the character makes a return alongside some other key characters from the franchise in NCIS: Origins, which follows Gibbs’s earlier days on the job, with Austin Stowell stepping into the role and Harmon serving as narrator.
The 1990s setting provides an interesting touch, but the show stays true to its roots as an NCIS show with compelling cases and likable heroes. It is a lot of fun getting to go on the job with Gibbs when he was not quite as experienced as he was when fans met him in the original series. Despite the daunting task, Stowell steps into the beloved role with ease.
13. Bones (2005-2017)
An Anthropologist And FBI Agent Team Up
NCIS is one of those police procedural shows that excel because of the diverse team on hand to solve the cases. While it is fun to follow capable and stoic agents as they take down bad guys, their adventures are elevated when they are also dealing with lab technicians and those team members who are not as experienced in the field. There are a number of shows that strive for this dynamic, but Bones is one of the best.
The setup makes for a lot of interesting cases and some clever ways for Temperance’s skills to come in handy.
Bones stars Emily Deschanel as Temperance “Bones” Brennan, a forensic anthropologist whose expertise in examining fossils and old bones leads to her working alongside David Boreanaz as FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth. The setup makes for a lot of interesting cases and some clever ways for Temperance’s skills to come in handy. However, the real charm of the series is the funny, romantic, and conflicting relationship between the two characters, who are very different people.
12. Vigil (2021-)
Scottish Detectives Investigate Military Conspiracies British crime series have become the new obsession of many fans of police procedurals. Instead of having the long 20+ episode seasons of a typical American police series, these British shows tell more serious, dark, and involved stories over the course of only a few episodes per season. While shows like Broadchurch and Happy Valley stand out as the best British crime shows, Vigil offers something that is especially attractive for NCIS fans.
The show is another series that deals with investigations into cases involving the military. The series stars Suranne Jones as Amy Silva and Rose Leslie as Kirsten Longacre, two Scottish detectives and romantic partners who find themselves wrapped up in conspiracies involving the military. The first season dealt with the duo investigating a mysterious death aboard a submarine, while the second involved a drone attack. These cases extend across the entire season of the show, making for gripping and complex mysteries.
11. Line Of Duty (2012-2021)
An Anti-Corruption Team Takes On Dirty Cops
With so many police procedural shows out there, a series needs to find an interesting and unique approach to stand out. For NCIS, the focus on the military makes for a lot of exciting cases. It also explores the idea of the flawed people who can be in these positions and takes a look at the corruption and evil that can exist in places known for heroism. That is also the approach taken with the intense and exciting British series Line of Duty.
This is another crime show dealing with cops, however, they are a team of officers who investigate the crimes of other police officers. The show offers a more in-depth and dark look at the distinction between heroes and criminals while also reflecting on the fact that justice within the police system can also be imperfect.
10. Criminal Minds (2005-)
FBI Profilers Try To Stop Criminals Before They Strike Again
Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Rob Bailey, Matthew Gray Gubler, Joe Mantegna, John Gallagher, Douglas Aarniokoski, Guy Norman Bee, Larry Teng, Nelson McCormick, Alec Smight, Charles S. Carroll, Rob Spera, Charles Haid, Diana Valentine, Rob Hardy, Tawnia McKiernan, Bethany Rooney, Karen Gaviola, Sharat Raju, Thomas Gibson, Aisha Tyler, Anna Foerster, Gloria Muzio, John Terlesky
Writers
Bruce Zimmerman, Virgil Williams, Edward Allen Bernero, Janine Sherman Barrois, Chris Mundy, Simon Mirren, Debra J. Fisher, Kimberly A. Harrison, Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin, Karen Maser, Oanh Ly, Stephanie Sengupta, Aaron Zelman, Kirsten Vangsness, Erica Meredith, Andi Bushell, Holly Harold, Alicia Kirk, Jeff Davis, Randy Huggins, Edward Napier, Jayne A. Archer, Chikodili Agwuna
Criminal Minds is another long-running TV show that shares a lot of similarities to NCIS. It focuses on FBI profilers who work together to try and get into the mindset of serious criminals in order to stop them before they attack again. Criminal Minds is also another long-running TV series that has led to spinoffs, including Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. Criminal Minds episodes are known to feature strange and interesting plots that make the show so appealing.
The show features a brilliant cast that partially resembles NCIS in the way that each character is different, but they all work together to form a cohesive team. While Criminal Minds features the FBI, whereas NCIS features its own team, both shows portray the teams investigating crimes and developing trusting relationships with each other. Criminal Minds is another highly popular police procedural with an exciting and brilliant cast, and it is definitely worth watching.
9. Law & Order (1990-)
Police Officers And Lawyers Work Together To Fight Crime In New Law & Order is a highly captivating TV show that focuses on the intersection of detectives and prosecutors to bring perpetrators to justice. The show originally ran for 20 years before being canceled in 2010 following season 20. However, Law & Order was renewed in 2022 and has been gaining popularity ever since. The revival featured a mainly new team with only two returning cast members but continued the format of the episodes that made the show so popular.
The greatest part of Law & Order is that it mixes police work with legal procedures and loopholes. Police procedurals typically focus solely on work done on the front lines, but with Law & Order, there is a large emphasis on work that happens behind the scenes when trying to convict a criminal. Just like NCIS, Law & Order characters are likable, charismatic, and have a strong sense of justice.
8. Chicago P.D. (2014-)
Chicago P.D. Investigates Chicago’s Most Dangerous Crimes
Chicago P.D. follows the everyday cops of Chicago as they investigate and bring down Chicago’s most dangerous criminals. Chicago P.D. is a spinoff from Chicago Fire and is one of several TV shows in the One Chicago universe. The series is very similar to NCIS in that it also focuses on a team as they work together to deal with a new crime in every episode.
Similar to NCIS, Chicago P.D. is led by a strong and loyal leader. Sergeant Hank Voight leads the Chicago P.D. team and guides his team in a strong quest for justice. Like NCIS’s Jethro Gibbs, Voight also has a tough exterior and is tough on crime. He helps bring his team together in order to protect the city he loves the most. Chicago P.D. is another similar show to NCIS and will appeal to the show’s fanbase.
7. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
A Team Of Officers And Lawyers Work Together To Fight NYC’s Most
Heinous Crimes
A spinoff from Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit follows a special team of detectives and prosecutors whose purpose is to fight New York City’s most heinous crimes. The team is led by Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson, whose pursuit of justice and passion for victims cements her as one of the greatest show leads in a police procedural. The team typically deals with crimes related to sexual assaults and more sensitive matters, which separates it from Law & Order.
Law & Order: SVU is a very serious show due to its serious subject. It is similar to NCIS in that respect because it does not use humor to reduce the impact of the cases the team deals with. The show mainly emphasizes the cases that the team investigates, with a smaller focus on the main characters’ personal lives, just like NCIS.
6. S.W.A.T. (2017-)
The LAPD’s Special Weapons And Tactics Unit Fights Crime
SWAT TV Show Poster
A remake of the classic crime show from the 1970s, S.W.A.T. is a captivating and action-packed show that follows the team members of the LAPD’s SWAT unit as they investigate and fight crime. The team is led by the strong and loyal Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, played by Shemar Moore. Like NCIS, S.W.A.T. focuses on crimes on a case-by-case basis, with each episode featuring a different crime. The show also examines the characters’ personal lives, as Hondo’s partner Nichelle becomes a major part of the series.
While NCIS features a lot of action-packed scenes, S.W.A.T. does emphasize the action a little more. The team is mainly seen on the field while in pursuit of criminals, with less time being spent at headquarters than NCIS’s team. The two shows have some differences, but both S.W.A.T. and NCIS feature a strong cast of trusting characters.
5. FBI (2018-)
The Members Of The Federal Bureau Of Investigation Seek Justice
fbi FBI is another captivating police procedural that follows a team of agents as they investigate crimes. FBI is different from typical police procedurals by being very fast-paced and dealing with crimes on a different scale. The FBI team investigates serious and large-scale crimes, such as counterintelligence, to protect New York and keep the American people safe.
FBI is another series that is part of Dick Wolf’s One Chicago universe, but it stands out by finding its niche in large-scale crimes. The show has also led to a couple of spinoffs, including FBI: Most Wanted and FBI: International. Like NCIS, FBI also features a highly intelligent team who work together to bring criminals to justice and stop them before they strike again. Its exciting and intense plots make it one of the best shows like NCIS.
4. SEAL Team (2017-2024)
The Navy SEALs Complete Dangerous Missions For The American People
Something particular about NCIS is that its niche includes the armed forces. SEAL Team is another show that does just that. SEAL Team follows the lives of a group of Navy SEALs as they perform and execute America’s most dangerous missions. The show also examines the physical and emotional toll that a career as a Navy SEAL involves. SEAL TEAM shares a similar tone to that of NCIS and also features intense, action-packed scenes.
Even though NCIS deals with crimes involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, whereas the members of SEAL Team are military personnel, the shows still share many similarities. For example, each episode features a different case or mission. Each team is also led by a strong and dedicated leader. The NCIS team was led by Gibbs, and is now led by Parker, and the SEAL Team team is led by Jason Hayes.
3. Major Crimes (2012-2018)
The Major Crimes Division of the LAPD Investigates High Profile Cases
Major Crimes is a spinoff from crime series The Closer that stars Mary McDonnell as Captain Sharon Raydor. Raydor joined the Major Crimes Division after the previous captain exited, but her history as an internal affairs investigator means that it will take time for her new team to trust her. The show follows Raydor and her team as they investigate serious crimes while also dealing with personal struggles.
The show is similar to NCIS in the way that it has a moderate pace and each episode deals with a new problem and sticks to the case-of-the-week format. However, Major Crimes places a larger emphasis on the personal lives of its characters, as Raydor’s foster son, Rusty, becomes a major part of the show as well. The series still features excellent episodes filled with exciting mysteries and crimes, just like NCIS.
2. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000-2015)
A Team of Forensic Investigators Solve Crimes in Vegas
csi
Perhaps the show that is most similar to NCIS, CSI follows a team of forensic investigators as they solve crimes in Las Vegas. CSI examines cases on a closer level. Whereas NCIS has characters like Abby and Kasie to help the team analyze evidence, CSI has a whole team of characters with Abby and Kasie’s skill sets. The CSI team also works closely with detectives, doctors, and lab technicians to help them solve cases.
CSI ran for 15 seasons and aired on CBS from 2000 to 2015.
CSI is another long-running TV show that has led to several spinoffs. Like NCIS, CSI has also focused on creating spinoffs in different locations and has expanded to create CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, CSI: Vegas, and CSI: Cyber. CSI also features a dedicated group of investigators who work hard to bring criminals to justice. It is most similar to NCIS because of the episode’s format and team dynamics, but the details in each episode set it aside as a separate but equally enjoyable TV show.
1. JAG (1995-2005)
The Origins of NCIS
JAG is another police procedural that focuses on military drama on a familiar case-by-case basis. It is also the origin of NCIS, as NCIS was introduced through a backdoor pilot in JAG. The show examines the military’s Judge Advocate General division, which investigates military-related crimes from a legal standpoint, similar to Law & Order. David James Elliott plays Harmon “Harm” Rabb Jr., the show’s lead.
Both JAG and NCIS were created by Donald P. Bellisario and the similarities are very noticeable once the two shows are connected. Both shows are centered around crimes related to military personnel and both shows follow a very standard police procedural format. Each episode features an exciting new crime or development but with the same episodic format. JAG is a great show as a standalone, but it is even better to watch it following NCIS to see where the franchise began.
