Things are really picking up for the TV world. The actors strike was resolved in November, and tentative production dates have already been set for a number of procedural dramas. It got even better when TV Insider announced that these dramas, including our beloved NCIS, have finally been given official release dates by their networks.
CBS has been the first network to lay out its plans for 2024, which is more packed than usual due to the fact that most of its fall programming was delayed. A dozen procedural dramas are set to premiere during the first part of the year, and NCIS, along with its spin-off, NCIS: Hawaii, will be airing on Monday, February 12.
What day does NCIS season 21 premiere?
The franchise will be kicking off a week that will see the return of other CBS staples including Blue Bloods and all three titles in the FBI franchise. This means NCIS will be the first new show fans get to see from the network, which is fitting given how long it’s lasted and how important it’s been to the lineup over the last two decades.
NCIS will likely start production in late November or early December, depending on whether the cast want to film through the holidays, in order to meet their February deadline. There will be lots of work done in a small period of time, especially when you take into account that the writers and actors on the show usually have months to fine-tune and prepare before shooting.
It will no doubt help that the creatives behind the show will not be trying to make a full, 20 plus episode season. NCIS season 21 will be the second-shortest in history, and the shortest in terms of a technically “full” season. There will only be an estimated 10-13 episodes this coming year, which makes sense given both the aforementioned time crunch and the fact that CBS still has to make room for the shows that usually fill its time slots during the summer.
It will be an odd year in terms of scheduling, but things will presumably get back to normal after this year. Given the agreement the actors and studios struck, we’d say it was a sacrifice worth making.