The NCIS franchise is growing again. CBS officially picked up NCIS: New York for the 2026-27 television season. The new series brings back a familiar face while adding another well-known TV actor to the team.
LL Cool J returns to the NCIS universe as Sam Hanna, the character he played for all 14 seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles. He will be joined by Scott Caan, known for his role as Danny “Danno” Williams on Hawaii Five-0. The show will air Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. ET this fall on CBS, sitting right between the original NCIS at 8 p.m. and NCIS: Origins at 10 p.m.
The Pitt Co-Creator Writes the Pilot Episode
The man behind The Pitt is helping launch this new spinoff. R. Scott Gemmill, who created the hit HBO medical drama starring Noah Wyle, wrote the pilot for NCIS: New York. This is not Gemmill’s first time working with this franchise. He wrote on all 14 seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles and served as showrunner for seven of those seasons.
Gemmill also worked with LL Cool J on The Pitt, so the two already have a strong working relationship. Byron Balasco, who created the Audience Network series Kingdom and worked on Without a Trace, will serve as showrunner for the new series. LL Cool J and Jason Barrett will also serve as executive producers.
What the Show Is About
NCIS: New York follows Sam Hanna as he returns to his hometown. The character, who spent years working out of the Los Angeles field office, now heads to the New York City field office. He partners with a “roguish agent” played by Scott Caan and helps lead a new team.
The official synopsis from CBS says the team handles “high-stakes missions to defend one of the most vital cities and ports in the world.” New York City has a large Navy presence and major port operations, making it a natural setting for NCIS stories.
Sam Hanna’s Long History With NCIS
LL Cool J first appeared as Sam Hanna on the original NCIS back in April 2009. Later that same year, NCIS: Los Angeles launched with him as a main cast member. The show ran for 14 seasons before ending in May 2023.
Since NCIS: Los Angeles ended, LL Cool J has made guest appearances on the original NCIS series. He will appear in two upcoming episodes on April 21 and April 28 of this year. These episodes will serve as a preview for fans before the new spinoff arrives in the fall.
Scott Caan Joins the Franchise
Scott Caan is no stranger to CBS procedurals. He played Danny “Danno” Williams on Hawaii Five-0 for all 10 seasons from 2010 to 2020. During that time, he even appeared in a crossover episode of NCIS: Los Angeles. For NCIS: New York, he will play a completely new character, not the same one from Hawaii Five-0.
Why CBS Chose This Spinoff Over Others
CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach explained why the network went with NCIS: New York instead of bringing back the Tony and Ziva spinoff that was canceled on Paramount+ in December. She told Deadline that LL Cool J is “like a member of our family at CBS” and that his guest appearances on NCIS over the last two years have been very successful.
She also said sending Sam Hanna back to his hometown of New York “felt like a really ripe creative space to play in.” The large port and Navy presence in New York made the location a natural choice for the franchise.
Streaming and Availability
NCIS: New York will air on CBS for US viewers. For those who prefer streaming, episodes will also be available on Paramount+. The show will make its debut during the fall 2026 season, which typically runs from September through December.
Global audiences should check their local CBS affiliates or Paramount+ availability in their region. Release dates for international markets have not been announced yet.
The Growing NCIS Universe
The NCIS franchise started in 2003 as a spinoff from JAG. Since then, it has grown into one of the largest television universes. Including JAG, NCIS: New York will be the ninth show in the franchise. Other spinoffs include:
- NCIS: Los Angeles (14 seasons)
- NCIS: New Orleans (7 seasons)
- NCIS: Hawai’i (3 seasons)
- NCIS: Sydney (currently in Season 4)
- NCIS: Origins (currently in Season 3)
The original NCIS will enter its 24th season this fall, proving the franchise still has strong viewer support after more than two decades on the air.
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What This Means for Tuesday Nights on CBS
CBS is creating a full night of NCIS programming on Tuesdays. The schedule will be:
- 8 p.m. ET: NCIS (flagship series)
- 9 p.m. ET: NCIS: New York (new spinoff)
- 10 p.m. ET: NCIS: Origins (prequel series)
This programming move shows CBS is betting heavily on the franchise to carry an entire evening of television. NCIS: Sydney will return in midseason to replace NCIS: Origins when its episode order for Season 3 gets reduced.
Also Read: Gaten Matarazzo Says Stranger Things Reboot Is 100% Going to Happen: ‘It’s Pretty Clear’
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