Summary
EveryNCISshow brings something great to the table, but when comparing the core five shows of the franchise, one rises to the top as the best series. The best show is considered the peak of theNCISfranchise for many reasons, but most of all, because of its consistency and strong characters that keep audiences coming back for more.The first show,NCIS, began in 2003 and is still on the air,meaning the characters on the series today are different from the original cast. However, this doesn’t change the audience’s enduring interest in the characters and story.
Originally, theNCISfranchise started withJAGin 1995, but the centralNCISuniverse has eclipsed the success ofJAGand its other ancillary connecting shows.
Like any good crime procedural,NCIShas an angle that makes it unique, which was reimagined in the following shows.NCIS: Los Angeles,NCIS: New Orleans,NCIS: Hawai’i, andNCIS: Sydneyhave all become hallmarksof the story’s universe, and the creators aren’t stopping there. Originally, theNCISfranchise started withJAGin 1995, but the centralNCISuniverse has eclipsed the success ofJAGand its other ancillary connecting shows. Upcoming shows like the Tony and Ziva spinoff andNCIS: Originswill ensure thatNCISwill never fade from the memory of viewers and will evolve with the times.
NCIS: Originsupdatesreveal that the backstory of Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), the longstanding leader of theNCISteam, will be explored with new actors and a new timeline. This is exciting news for audiences who have been missing Gibbs' presence since Harmon departed in season 19.The basis for everyNCISshow is that the central group of characters is part of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service,so the crimes they solve are related to the Navy and Marines. Of course, each show has leaned into new territory and explored both typical crimes and military or governmental conspiracies.
8 Reasons NCIS: Sydney Deserves More Attention Ahead Of Season 2
NCIS: Sydney has been renewed for season 2 but hasn’t received a positive reception from all NCIS fans. That said, there are strengths to consider.
5NCIS: Hawai’i (2021–2024)
It was the sun-drenched spinoff that never found its footing.
NCIS: Hawai’i’s recent cancelationcame as a shock to many fans of the series, but it was never the strongest installment in theNCISuniverse. Set against the idyllic titular island,NCIS: Hawai’ialso pushed boundaries by having a female Special Agent in charge of the NCIS Pearl Harbor team. Vanessa Lachey stars as Jane Tennant, the lead agent who was a credit to her team and to theNCISname. Unfortunately,after only three seasons,NCIS: Hawai’iwas canceled,despiteNCIS: Sydneypremiering whileHawai’iwas still on the air.
It’s hard to say whatNCIS: Hawai’ilacked that the other shows so easily cultivated. It’s true that the crime procedural on network television isn’t as strong a draw as it used to be. Additionally, shows likeNCIS: Hawai’ionly work because of the built-in audience from the original shows, andat the time of its premiere, better-established interactions of theNCISuniverse were currently airing.However, it was finding its footing and slowly picking up speed at the time of cancelation. Despite this, the current realities of television don’t allow any time or room to grow.
Investing in serialized shows like the Tony and Ziva spinoff and hiring a whole new slew of actors forNCIS: Originshad a price tag, and it’s undeniable that audiences are more interested in these stories.
CBS cited the cost of productionand low viewership numbers to justify its cancelation, butit’s agreed upon that of theNCISshows,Hawai’iwas the weakest in general.Investing in serialized shows like the Tony and Ziva spinoff and hiring a whole new slew of actors forNCIS: Originshad a price tag, and it’s undeniable that audiences are more interested in these stories. MaybeNCIS: Hawai’iwill make a return later on, but for now, the series has run its course.
NCIS: Hawaii
Cast
NCIS: Hawaii is the fourth spin-off of the police procedural series NCIS. It follows a team of Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents as they investigate a wide variety of difficult and shocking crimes. Vanessa Lachey stars as Jane Tennant alongside Alex Tarrant as Kai Holman, Noah Mills as Jesse Boone, Tori Anderson as Kate Whistler, Yasmine Al-Bustami as Lucy Tara, and Jason Antoon as Ernie Malik.
4NCIS: Sydney (2023–Present)
As the newest NCIS series, it has everything to prove and has been making headway.
It seems thatNCISis moving in the international direction in general, as the Tony and Ziva spinoff will take place in Europe, andNCIS: Sydneysees the joint investigation of a U.S. NCIS team and the Australian Federal Police.One of the best parts ofNCIS: Sydney, so far, isn’t the beautiful setting or the new set of international laws to navigate but the built-in tension between the U.S. and Australian teams. This makes it all the more satisfying when the characters learn to trust each other and start acting like a team.
Not only isNCIS: Sydneyset in Australia, but it features Australian actors and producers, making it a truly international production. This is no small feat for a series in theNCISfranchise and shows the direction that the creators aim to take futureNCISproductions in. As audiences increasingly turn away from network dramas and invest in streaming, CBS and Paramount+ are covering their bases in both arenas.NCIS: Sydneyopens the door for further international collaborationand the exploration of new territory forNCISshows across the world.
However, it’s still early on inNCIS: Sydney’s run and it remains to be seen how successful the show will be in the long term.NCIS: Hawai’i’s cancelation doesn’t bode well for the future of classicNCISspinoffs,butSydneyis proving that it isn’t like the rest. Additionally,NCIS: Sydneyalready has a great cast with a fun dynamic the audience can appreciate. It will just take time for the show to reach the same heights as the other installments.
NCIS: Sydney
NCIS: Sydney is an Australian crime-police procedural series and is another spin-off in the long-running NCIS franchise. The series is set in Sydney, Australia, and follows Special Agent-in-Charge Michelle Mackey as she and her fellow partners deal with various high-profile cases and crimes.
3NCIS: New Orleans (2014–2021)
The new setting and interesting characters didn’t make NCIS: New Orleans interesting enough.
The thirdNCISseries to spark from the initial franchise,NCIS: New Orleans, put a Southern U.S. twist on the format of the original show. Though it was set and shot in the city of New Orleans, the series explored U.S. crimes all over the South, from Louisiana to Texas. After the success ofNCIS: Los Angeles, it was paramount thatNCIS: New Orleanssucceed and prove thatNCIShad longevity beyond the first two shows. It also appealed to a new demographic, which is something that each successiveNCISseries aimed to do.
From the start, many of the complaints lodged againstNCIS: New Orleanswas that it tread the same ground as the other two shows and didn’t offer anything original outside of the new location.
From the start, many of the complaints lodged againstNCIS: New Orleanswas that it tread the same ground as the other two shows and didn’t offer anything original outside of the new location.Scott Bakula led the cast as Dwayne “King” Pride,the Special Agent in charge of the New Orleans NCIS team. His addition to theNCISfranchise came as somewhat of a shock to fans of the actor, as he was best known for his role in sci-fi series likeQuantum Leap. However, he became such a standout character that the series concluded with his marriage.
BeforeNCIS: Hawai’iwas canceled,NCIS: New Orleanswas the first of the franchise to be canceled, which was a big deal for CBS and the legacy ofNCISin general. Although seven seasons is not a short run by any means, compared toNCISandNCIS: Los Angeles, it didn’t make waves. There was nothing wrong with the series, butit didn’t push boundaries the way it should have or distinguish itself against the many crime procedurals availableon TV. It’s possible thatNCIS: New Orleansis why the network has been careful to cut costs in recent years.
NCIS: New Orleans
The third series in the NCIS franchise, NCIS: New Orleans is a crime drama television series that aired for seven seasons from 2014-2021 on CBS. The police procedural show follows the work of a New Orleans-based team of NCIS Special Agents led by Supervisory Special Agent Dwayne “King” Cassius Pride, played by Scott Bakula. The cast also includes CCH Pounder, Rob Kerkovich, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Lucas Black, and Vanessa Ferlito, among others.
2NCIS: Los Angeles (2009–2023)
A fantastic addition to the franchise, but not as good as the original show.
The first follow-up after the explosive success ofNCISwasNCIS: Los Angeles, and it’s obvious from its fourteen-season run that the California city was the perfect place to situate the show. Starring LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell, the stories were frequently male-centric, but this changed as the seasons progressed. Like all procedurals, it faced criticism but was a hit with audiences, cultivating a strong followingand becoming a hit for CBS. In the story, the agents inNCIS: Los Angelesspecialized in under-cover assignments, which was especially exciting in LA.
There have been a high number of crime movies that take place in Los Angeles, as well as police procedural dramas set in the city on television.NCIS: Los Angelesis aware of its history and the legacy of its setting, and it’s fun to see both the NCIS team and the LAPD team up to solve the intricate crimes. WatchingNCIS: Los Angelesis reminiscent of the film noir history deeply entrenched in LA.However, its characters are still modern, and their problems are relevant to contemporary viewers.
AsNCIS: Los Angelesbegan to wind down, it was a well-earned and natural progression.NCISis still airing and is arguably past its prime at this point. However,NCIS: Los Angelesran for a long time but understood when it was time to come to an end.The show knew when its characters were ready to move on. Wrapping up neatly with high-stakes investigations and the romantic partnerships audiences were rooting for,NCIS: Los Angeleswas satisfying to the very end.
NCIS: Los Angeles
NCIS: Los Angeles began in 2009 and currently has 14 seasons. Created by Shane Brennan, the release is the second installment in the NCIS franchise and the first major spinoff. The premise follows a group of special agents within the Naval Criminal Investigative Service as they aim to investigate and protect people in the Lost Angeles area.
All 8 Spinoffs In The NCIS Franchise Explained
NCIS has evolved into a massive franchise with 8 spinoffs to explore. Their key differences make for distinct viewing experiences and characters.
1NCIS (2003–Present)
The first and best of the franchise, nothing can beat NCIS.
From Jethro Gibbs to Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette),NCIShas had the best characters of the franchise and some of the most important relationships. Though it’s technically a spinoff fromJAG, it wasNCISthat developed the formula that has come to define the franchise and make it as long-lasting as possible.Even today, when Gibbs and the other iconic characters have moved on,NCISis still airingbecause audiences are so dedicated to the series and anxious to see what happens next.
This kind of loyalty is earned, and it takes a show as good asNCISto make audiences hold out for the next season, even if the previous one has a dip in quality. The series proved that it will always bounce back from a setback, and is unafraid to define itself as a crime procedural, through and through. Thoughsome of the season-long arcs have broken out of this formula and surprised viewers and critics alike,many of the best episodes of the series stick to the traditional format and make it sing.
Even as TV has grown and evolved, the original show has maintained its fanbase and kept its promise to deliver fun and exciting television.
The number of upcoming spinoff shows is a testament toNCISand how much audiences adore the characters. From the Tony and Ziva show toNCIS: Origins, there will be no shortage of new series within the franchise to scratch the same itch as the original series. Even as TV has grown and evolved, the original show has maintained its fanbase and kept its promise to deliver fun and exciting television. Though some critics are skeptical of the procedural format, it only takes a glance atNCISto demonstrate how foolproof it is.
NCIS
NCIS is a television series that follows a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Premiering in 2003, the show explores various cases involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, ranging from murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines.
