CBS Pulls All Three 'NCIS' Series for Thanksgiving Week
CBS is hitting the pause button on its entire NCIS franchise for the second time this month. All three series in the popular procedural universe—the flagship NCIS, NCIS: New York, and NCIS: Origins—will air reruns instead of new episodes on Tuesday, November 24, the network confirmed. The move comes just weeks after the franchise was preempted for midterm election coverage at the start of November.
The Thanksgiving-week hiatus is not unexpected. CBS has traditionally held back new episodes of its procedural dramas during the holiday, even when the holiday itself falls outside the show's regular timeslot. The schedule will return to normal on December 1, with only a few weeks remaining before the midseason finales. Before the break, each of the three series will air their respective new episodes this Tuesday, November 17.
The pause affects a franchise that has been firing on all cylinders this fall. The flagship NCIS is currently in its 24th season, NCIS: New York has brought LL COOL J's Sam Hanna into a leading role, and NCIS: Origins has enjoyed a creative resurgence with Mark Harmon's full-time return as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. All three air as part of CBS's revamped "Super Tuesday" lineup, which groups the Navy-related projects into a single night of programming.
A Scheduling Move Rooted in Tradition
The decision to air reruns during Thanksgiving week is standard practice for broadcast networks, which often use holiday weeks to give production teams a break and to avoid burning off original episodes when viewing levels are typically lower. For CBS, the strategy has been particularly common with the NCIS franchise, which has long been a cornerstone of the network's scripted slate. The November 24 pause means fans will have to wait an extra week for the next chapter in each series' current storyline.
The timing is notable given the franchise's current momentum. NCIS Season 24 has already delivered major developments, including the return of Michael Weatherly's Tony DiNozzo as the new director of the agency, the trial of McGee's son for hacking the NCIS database, and Torres facing his dark past. NCIS: New York has expanded the franchise to the Big Apple for the first time, while NCIS: Origins has been praised for its dual-timeline storytelling, weaving young Gibbs's 1990s story with Harmon's present-day conspiracy arc.
'NCIS: Origins' Faces a Shortened Season
While the Thanksgiving pause is temporary, a more significant scheduling shift is looming for NCIS: Origins. As reported by Screen Rant, CBS has slashed the prequel's third-season episode count from 18 to just 10 episodes. The decision, announced ahead of the current cycle, stems from CBS's scheduling needs—specifically, slotting NCIS: Sydney Season 4 into the same timeslot once the winter season begins.
The shortened run marks a departure for a series that has been arguably the most creatively ambitious of the three active shows. NCIS: Origins has already aired five of its 10 episodes, putting it at the midpoint of its run. The series has been anchored by Harmon's full-time return as old Gibbs, who opens and closes each chapter of young Gibbs's (Austin Stowell) 1990s story while investigating a major conspiracy in the present day.
A Creative High Point Cut Short
The episode reduction has not gone unnoticed by critics and fans, many of whom have praised NCIS: Origins as the strongest storytelling in the franchise this cycle. The show's most recent installment, "Baila Esta Cumbia," strongly suggested that Cecilia "Lala" Dominguez (Mariel Molino) is still alive after two years of ambiguity—a development that will shape Gibbs's present-day story. Meanwhile, the upcoming episode "Shot Through The Heart" will feature Muse Watson's return as Mike Franks, the mentor who originally died 16 years ago in the flagship series.
The combination of Harmon's return, the Lala mystery, and the Franks comeback has given NCIS: Origins a creative energy that rivals the flagship at its peak. The decision to cut its season short, while driven by scheduling rather than creative concerns, raises questions about how much story the show can tell in its remaining five episodes.
Why the Franchise's Momentum Matters
The stakes for CBS are significant. The NCIS franchise remains one of the network's most reliable performers, and the fall 2026 slate represents a strategic bet on the universe's enduring appeal. By grouping all three shows on Tuesday nights, CBS has created a night of programming that leans heavily on nostalgia—Weatherly's return, Harmon's comeback, and the expansion of the franchise to New York—while also introducing new characters and storylines.
The strategy appears to be working. The franchise has maintained strong viewership and cultural relevance, even as the broader television landscape fragments across streaming platforms. The Thanksgiving pause is unlikely to dent that momentum, but the shortened NCIS: Origins run could complicate the narrative around the franchise's creative health.
The Broader Context of Broadcast Scheduling
The scheduling decisions reflect a larger trend in traditional broadcast television. Networks are increasingly shortening seasons for some shows to accommodate limited runs of others, a practice that has become more common as broadcasters juggle a crowded slate of procedurals, spinoffs, and limited series. CBS's decision to slot NCIS: Sydney into the winter schedule at the expense of NCIS: Origins's episode count is a reminder that even successful franchises are subject to the economics of network scheduling.
For now, fans can look forward to new episodes of all three series on November 17 before the Thanksgiving break. After that, the franchise will return on December 1 for a short run before the midseason finales. For NCIS: Origins, the remaining five episodes will need to deliver on the promise of its ambitious dual-timeline storytelling—and perhaps leave the door open for a longer fourth season.
What to Watch For
The next few weeks will be telling for the NCIS franchise. The November 17 episodes will set up the Thanksgiving pause, and the December 1 return will launch the final stretch before the midseason break. For NCIS: Origins, the focus will be on how the show wraps up its shortened season and whether the Lala mystery and Gibbs's present-day conspiracy arc can reach a satisfying conclusion in just five more episodes.
CBS has not announced whether NCIS: Origins will return for a fourth season or whether its episode count will be restored. For now, the franchise remains a cornerstone of the network's schedule, even as it navigates the realities of modern broadcast television.
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