Why There’s No NCIS Season 23 Tonight (May 19) & When New Episodes Release

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There won’t be a new episode of NCIS tonight, May 19, 2026, and CBS has a good reason. The recent season felt like a turning point for the show, as it began to regain its popularity after some changes and challenges. The last few years have been tough for NCIS, particularly after Mark Harmon, who played Leroy Jethro Gibbs, left the series and the team needed to rebuild. Remarkably, the show has continued successfully even without any of its original cast still starring.

The latest episode of NCIS (season 23, episode 20, “Sons and Daughters”) brought back familiar faces and set the stage for future storylines. Kayla Vance returned to grapple with her father Leon’s legacy, while McGee’s son, Mateo, explored the possibility of an internship with the agency. Adding to the drama, Gabriel LaRoche reappeared to announce his bid for the agency’s top leadership position, which has been empty. With these developments and a tense situation between Nick Torres and Mateo, fans are eager to see what happens next on the show.

NCIS Season 23 Is Officially Over

NCIS fans will be waiting a while for new episodes. The current season ended with the May 12th episode, “Sons and Daughters,” and CBS won’t be airing any new installments tonight or in the near future. This break is longer than the usual short pauses between episodes, and will last several months until the show returns from its summer break.

Tonight, instead of a new episode of NCIS, CBS will be showing a two-hour special called Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart Live. But don’t worry, NCIS fans! CBS will re-air an older episode, season 23’s “The Sound and the Fury,” at 10 PM Eastern. It’s unclear what CBS plans to do with the NCIS timeslot in the future, but they might simply show repeat episodes.

When NCIS Season 24 Will Release (& What To Expect)

CBS has announced its fall 2026 lineup, but hasn’t set exact dates for when shows will begin airing. We know season 24 of NCIS will premiere sometime in September or October and will continue to air on Tuesdays at 8 PM Eastern. NCIS is the only show keeping its regular time slot on that night.

The upcoming 24th season of NCIS will focus on two main stories, starting with the premiere. The episode will reveal what happened between Torres and Mateo in the Navy Yard, though thankfully neither of them were seriously hurt. This incident will cause tension within the MCRT team, especially because McGee’s son is caught in the middle. The season will also continue the search for a new NCIS director, and it looks like LaRoche will be the main antagonist this year.

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2026-05-19 23:10