What’s next for Special Agent Gibbs and co?
After 17 years, NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is still going strong. Not only is it the second-longest running drama on TV – behind Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – but it’s also still the most popular.
This Is Us briefly dethroned NCIS back in the 2017-2018 season, but TV’s most addictive detective show came out on top again last year with an average of 15.57 million viewers in the US.
It’s no wonder then that CBS continues to renew NCIS year after year, and we’re sure that Gibbs and co will survive the next round of renewals too.
NCIS season 18 air date: When’s it back?
Assuming that humanity isn’t destroyed by some cataclysmic event, it’s safe to say that NCIS will return for an 18th season and will continue to do so until the end of time itself.
Bearing that in mind, we fully expect to see NCIS season 18 arrive on CBS some time around September 2020 in its regular autumn slot.
READ MORE: NCIS: How Much Money Is Mark Harmon Paid Per Episode?
NCIS season 18 cast: Who’s coming back?
Series star Mark Harmon has been the face of NCIS for well over a decade now, which has led some fans to wonder whether he can keep playing the lead indefinitely.
Rumours surrounding Harmon’s health have led some to doubt his future on NCIS, but reports suggest that he’s still enjoying the role for now, despite extra commitments as the show’s executive producer too.
Even if Harmon doesn’t return for season 18, we imagine that NCIS will still remain popular regardless. Original cast member Pauley Perrette left in season 15, and despite her following among fans, the show has still pulled in huge ratings.
Either way, expect to see the majority of regular cast members return in season 18, including: Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll), Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham), Dr Jack Sloane (Maria Bello), Dr Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen), Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama), Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) and Dr Donald Mallard (David McCallum).
What remains to be seen is whether Cote de Pablo will reprise the role of Ziva David beyond a few confirmed guest spots in season 17.
NCIS season 18 episodes: How many can we expect?
Aside from season 5, every single instalment of NCIS thus far has ran for over 20 episodes, so don’t expect this to change any time soon for season 18.
READ MORE: NCIS: Why did Cote de Pablo originally leave NCIS? Could she return again?
NCIS season 18 spoilers: What do we know?
Until season 17 comes to an end, it’s tough to predict what might happen in the next season, presuming of course that NCIS does indeed return for another instalment.
When asked about the show’s eventual ending, star Mark Harmon promised People that NCIS is showing no signs of slowing down just yet:
“I’ve always thought if there’s ever a time where the writers are walking into the room and going, ‘I don’t know what to do’, then I think we all have to look at each other and call it a day. But we’re not there yet.”
It seems then that as long as the ratings impress still, NCIS will continue until the writers eventually run out of material or when the world ends. Whatever comes first.
NCIS season 18 trailer: When can we see it?
The back half of season 17 is currently in production still, so don’t expect to see new footage for season 18 until summer 2020. In the meantime, catch up on what’s happening in the show right now via the latest season 17 trailer below: