The NCIS Season 9 title card.
NCIS, the theme of this wiki, is a show about the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. NCIS is set in Washington DC and takes place throughout the Capital Metro area and surrounding areas in Maryland and Virginia. It is made and modeled from JAG, a show made by the same producer, Donald Bellisario.
NCIS is a CBS network show about a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service of the U.S. Navy.
The concept and characters were initially introduced in a two-part episode of the CBS series JAG in the episodes Ice Queen (episode) and Meltdown (episode). The show premiered on September 23, 2003 and is currently airing its eleventh season.
Characters
Protagonists
| Name | Portrayed by | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Leroy Jethro Gibbs (2003–Present) | Mark Harmon | Special Agent in charge of the Major Case Response Team, NCIS. |
| Abigail Sciuto (2003–Present) | Pauley Perrette | Chief Forensic Specialist, NCIS. |
| Anthony DiNozzo (2003–Present) | Michael Weatherly | Senior Special Agent, MCRT, NCIS. |
| Donald Mallard (2003–Present) | David McCallum | Chief Medical Examiner, NCIS. |
| Timothy McGee (2004–Present) | Sean Murray | Special Agent, MCRT, NCIS. |
| James Palmer (2004–Present) | Brian Dietzen | Doctor Donald Mallard's Assistant, NCIS. |
| Leon Vance (2008–present) | Rocky Carroll | Director of NCIS. Originally the Deputy Director of NCIS under Director Shepard, Vance became Director of NCIS upon Director Shepard's death. |
| Eleanor Bishop (2013-present) | Emily Wickersham | A new character starting Season 11. She is a NSA Analyst who later joined the MCRT in a joint duty assignment. |
| Erica Jane Barrett (2011) | Sarah Jane Morris | Special Agent in Charge of a team formerly based in Rota, Spain. |
| Simon Cade (2011) | Matthew Willig | NCIS Special Agent attached to Barrett's MCRT previously stationed in Rota. Was shot dead by Jonathan Cole in the Season 9 episode, Spider and the Fly (episode). |
| Gayne Levin (2011) | Alimi Ballard | NCIS Special Agent attached to Barrett's MCRT previously stationed in Rota. Died after being shot by the Port-to-Port killer. |
| Ziva David (2005–2013) | Cote de Pablo | Former Mossad Liaison Officer to NCIS MCRT, Junior Special Agent, MCRT, NCIS. Later resigned from the team in the Season 10 finale episode, Damned If You Do (episode) before returning to her native Israel where she continues to live, having chosen not to return to the NCIS team. |
| Jennifer Shepard (2005-2008) | Lauren Holly | Former Director, NCIS; Killed in action during the events of Judgement Day Part 1. |
| Thomas Morrow (2003-2005, 2013) | Alan Dale | Former Director, NCIS. Deputy Director, Homeland Security |
| Caitlin Todd (2003-2005) | Sasha Alexander | Former Special Agent, MCRT, NCIS; Killed in action by terrorist Ari Haswari. |
| Gerald Jackson (2003-2005) | Pancho Demmings | Doctor Donald Mallard's Assistant, NCIS;left NCIS after being injured in a hostage situation. |
Shading indicates that the character is deceased.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a former marine sniper/Gunnery Sergeant with the United States Marine Corps who is now the head of the NCIS Major Case Response Team in the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. He was once married to a woman named Shannon with the two having a young daughter they named Kelly but the marriage ended in tragedy as while Gibbs was serving in Desert Storm, a Mexican drug lord shot the NIS agent guarding Shannon and Kelly with both women dying in the crash caused by the agent's death. This left Gibbs devastated and he later headed to Mexico to exact his revenge against the drug lord which he did by killing the other man after shooting him through the head, unaware that the drug lord had two children. Gibbs later returned to the U.S and kept the crime concealed for nearly twenty years until it returned with a vengeance in May 2010.
After leaving the Marines with the rank of Gunnery Sergeant, Gibbs joined NCIS when it was known as NIS as a Junior Agent and was known by his boss as "probie", which his former boss still calls him. Gibbs then rose through the ranks until he gained full leadership of the Major Case Response Team which he holds to this day.
Anthony DiNozzo
Anthony "Tony" DiNozzo is the Senior Agent on Gibbs's team. He was a homicide detective in Baltimore before he joined NCIS due to the fact that his partner in Baltimore was corrupt. He has a bad record with women and is a lover of movies, as some of the more pivotal features of his character is his frequent referencing to quotes from favorite movies that are somehow involved with their cases, bad dating experiences and humorous quarrels about women with Kate and then Ziva. His childish humor has made him the target of Gibbs's head-slaps on more than one occasion and DiNozzo is not above dishing out some of his own, particularly to the younger, less experienced Agents of the team. He even likes to pull rank over his colleagues although this often works against him.
Timothy McGee
An NCIS Special Agent formerly stationed at the Norfolk Naval Base, Timothy McGee joined the Major Case Response Team in Season Two. He has an MIT graduate certificate and is very skilled in computer forensics. In addition to that, he's also skilled in all kinds of technology and is even a writer. Not much is known about his family except that he has a younger sister named Sarah and his father is presumably an Admiral.
Abigail Sciuto
Abigail "Abby" Sciuto is the forensic scientist for NCIS. She wears Goth clothing and is a very happy, sweet individual with a very strong loyalty to Gibbs and the team.
In Season 9, Abby discovered she was actually adopted and that she has a biological brother named Kyle Davis.
Dr. Donald Mallard
Donald Mallard is the Chief Medical Examiner at NCIS. In addition to performing autopsies on the numerous bodies, Ducky as he's nicknamed even talks to them. He is also capable of composing psychological profiles for the team.
James Palmer
Current full-time assistant to Dr. Mallard in autopsy, he has aspirations on becoming a medical examiner and also a field agent. He is often referred to as the 'autopsy gremlin' by Agent DiNozzo.
Leon Vance
Deputy Director of NCIS under Director Shepard. He temporarily assumed the directorship of NCIS during the investigation of René Benoit's murder. In the aftermath of Jenny's murder, Vance became permanent Director of NCIS and is even responsible for establishing the Office of Special Projects which serves as a counterpart to the main NCIS operations in D.C and is located in Los Angeles.
Jennifer Shepard
Deceased and a former Director of NCIS, she became Director after Tom Morrow left to take a Deputy Director position at Homeland Security. Director Shepard was a former field agent with NCIS. She also was a former lover and partner of Jethro Gibbs. Died from injuries sustained in a gunfight in an abandoned diner in the Californian Desert.
Thomas Morrow
Former Director of NCIS, took a Deputy Director position with Homeland Security. Was succeeded by Jenny Shepard.
Caitlin 'Kate' Todd
A former Secret Service Agent assigned to the Presidential Detail aboard Air Force One. After resigning from her position, she joined NCIS, becoming Tony's partner and remained with the team for a year and a half. Unfortunately, her bright career ended in tragedy when in the last few minutes of the Season 2 finale episode, "Twilight", rogue spy/mole Ari Haswari shot her in the head, killing Kate instantly and leaving her colleagues devastated.
Gerald Jackson
Former autopsy assistant to Dr. Mallard, was wounded in the shoulder by Ari Haswari, was due to come back 'in 2 weeks' according to the episode 'Kill Ari Pt.1' but that never materialized. His place was taken by Jimmy Palmer starting in Season 3.
Erica Jane Barrett
Special Agent in Charge of a team formerly based in Rota, Spain supervising the case centered on Jonas Cobb.
Simon Cade
NCIS Special Agent attached to Barrett's MCRT previously stationed in Rota. Died when he was shot by Jonathan Cole.
Gayne Levin
NCIS Special Agent attached to Barrett's MCRT previously stationed in Rota. Died at the hands of Jonas Cobb, the Port-to-Port Killer.
Ziva David
Former Mossad liaison attached to the Major Case Response Team at Washingon Naval Yard, Ziva joined the team after her predecessor, Kate Todd was shot dead by Ziva's half brother, Ari Haswari.
Once Ari had died by Ziva's own hand, she became a permanent member of the team and also Tony's partner.
At the end of Season Five Director Vance terminated her liaison status and sent her back to Israel. She was placed back on the team in season six at Director Vance's request. Ziva remained as the Mossad liaison until her return to Israel and Mossad at the conclusion of the sixth season following the death of her Mossad partner, Michael Rivkin at DiNozzo's hands.
Upon her return to Israel, Director David assigned her the task of assassinating Saleem Ulman but, she was captured and held prisoner until she was liberated by a team led by Gibbs. After her rescue Ziva resigned from Mossad and subsequently joined NCIS as an agent. Once her application was approved, Ziva replaced McGee as the "Probie" and at the start of Season 9, is promoted to full-time Field Agent.
In Season 10, Ziva was devastated when her estranged father, Eli David died after being hit by machine gunfire. A year later, in Season 11, Ziva, having resigned from NCIS to protect Gibbs opted to stay behind in Israel rather than return to the U.S with Tony, marking her departure from the team as well as Cote de Pablo's real-life departure from the show.
Notable Guests (Not Related with NCIS)
| Name | Portrayed by | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Tobias Fornell (2003–Present) | Joe Spano | Special Agent, FBI |
| Michael Franks (2006-2011) | Muse Watson | Former Supervisory Special Agent, NIS who died after being stabbed by Jonas Cobb. |
| Dr. Jeanne Benoit (2006-2008) | Scottie Thompson | Tony's former girlfriend. |
| Trent Kort (2006–present) | David Dayan Fisher | CIA Operative |
| Lt. Col. Ret. Hollis Mann (2006-2008) (2014) | Susanna Thompson | Lieutenant Colonel Ret. of the US Army, CID |
| Director Eli David (2008-2013) | Michael Nouri | Director of Mossad and Father of Ziva David and Dr. Ari Haswari, he was assassinated in Washington DC while celebrating Shabbat with Ziva and the Vance's. |
Shading indicates that the character is deceased.
Tobias Fornell
FBI special agent who married Gibbs's second wife and was soon after divorced from her. Occasionally works as a liaison between the CIA and NCIS, since the two agencies don't seem to be able to get along very well. Has a daughter with his ex-wife and the two share custody. He is friends with Gibbs.
Dr. Jeanne Benoit
Daughter of (now deceased) arms dealer La Grenouille; she was the target of an undercover operation involving Anthony DiNozzo (his cover was Anthony DiNardo, an online professor of movie history at a local college) until his cover was blown by CIA undercover agent Trent Kort, who was working for La Grenouille surreptitiously. Whereabouts unknown, though she had been working recently in a 'Doctors without Borders' sort of outfit to get away from Tony.
Hollis Mann
Former US Army Colonel (retired); worked most recently for Army CID. Had an on again off again relationship with Jethro Gibbs, he was not able to make a commitment and she moved to Hawaii in her retirement, supposedly so that she didn't have to keep running into Gibbs and it was about as far as one could get from Washington DC and the Navy Yard.
Mike Franks
Gibbs's former boss, retired from NCIS after the Khobar Towers bombing when he realized he could no longer make a difference. He still calls Gibbs 'Probie' as if they were still mentor and student. Lives in Mexico now, rarely goes to 'El Norte' as he prefers to be off the grid. His son was killed in Season 4. For the next five years after his introduction, Mike regularly aided the team but was stabbed to death by Jonas Cobb, the Port to Port serial killer with his murder leaving the team devastated.
Trent Kort
First seen in "Blowback" as La Grenouille's right hand man, Trent Kort is a CIA Agent. He was educated at Oxford and Langley one of his professors was the infamous Marcin Jerek
Eli David
Ziva David's estranged father who at first was the Deputy Director of Mossad before going on to become the Director of Mossad.
Antagonists
| Name | Portrayed by | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Ari Haswari (2004-2006) | Rudolf Martin | Mossad assassin/double agent and mole who was killed by his half-sister Ziva David, but was said to be killed by Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the official report. Ari is responsible for the hostage situation that left Gibbs and Gerald Jackson injured and is also the one who murdered Caitlin Todd. |
| Mahmoun Sharif (2007-2007) | Enzo Cilenti | Terrorist killed by Hollis Mann |
| René Benoit (2006-2007) | Armand Assante |
Arms Dealer killed. Murderer unknown officially, but is either Jennifer Shepard or Trent Kort. |
| Svetlana Chernitskaya (2008) | Kathleen Gati | Girlfriend of Anatoli Zhukov and responsible for Jennifer Shepard's death. She was shot by Michael Franks. |
| Saleem Ulman (2009) | Omid Abtahi | Terrorist killed by Gibbs. Ulman kept Ziva prisoner in his camp for several months until she was saved by Gibbs, DiNozzo and McGee. |
| Lee Wuan Kai (2009) | Kelly Hu | Assassin killed by Jackie Vance. |
| Merton Bell (2009-2010) | Robert Patrick | Private Military Contractor. Murdered by his lieutenant Jason Paul Dean. |
| Alejandro Rivera (2010) | Marco Sanchez | Son of Pedro Hernandez. He is currently under arrest for several murders. |
| Paloma Reynosa (2010) | Jacqueline Obradors | Daughter of Pedro Hernandez and head of the Reynosa drug cartel. Killed by her brother, Alejandro Rivera. |
| Riley McCallister (2010) | Michael O'Neill | Former NCIS Agent and arms dealer who was killed by Director Leon Vance |
| Lieutenant Jonas Cobb, USN (2011) | Kerr Smith | United States Navy, he was recruited by the CIA and trained as an assassin. Is also the Port to Port serial killer. Shot by Gibbs and Vance, causing Cobb to fall through a window and crash into a car's roof, sending off many alarms. |
| Harper Dearing (2012) | Richard Schiff | A billionaire turned domestic terrorist who was killed by Leroy Jethro Gibbs |
Shading indicates that the character is deceased.
Ari Haswari
A rogue Mossad spy, Haswari made his appearance in the Season 1 episode, Bete Noire where he took Ducky, Gerald and Kate hostage. He eventually escaped, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake as both Gibbs and Gerald were left injured after being shot their respective left shoulders. Haswari soon emerged in the Season 2 episode, "Twilight" where he proved himself to be a very real problem when he shot Kate Todd in the forehead, resulting in her death. Hours later, Ari launched numerous attacks against Gibbs and the NCIS team but thankfully, Ari's own rampage was stopped for good when his control officer/half-sister Ziva David shot him dead in Gibbs's basement after learning the truth.
Mahmoun Sharif
Sharif was a the leader of a terrorist cell tracked by Gibbs and Mann. Sharif was shot and killed by Mann as he attempted to murder Gibbs who had been defenseless after being dosed with BZ gas.
René Benoit
Also know as "Le Grenouille" (The Frog), René Benoit was an arms dealer from French whom Jenny Shepard had devoted ten years of her life to hunting down as she believed the Frog had killed her father, Jasper Shepard despite the official report stating that Colonel Shepard had committed suicide. Benoit is found dead in the Season 5 episode, Bury Your Dead (episode) and it's implied that his killer is either Jenny or Trent Kort.
Saleem Ulman
Saleem Ulman was the head of Islamic terrorist organization that possessed a sleeper cell in Los Angeles. His group captured Ziva David while, she was attempting to infiltrate the group on behalf of Mossad. Shortly afterwards he was killed by Gibbs during a rescue mission orchestrated by NCIS.
Colonel Merton Bell, Ret.
Colonel Bell was the head of PMC the largest private military security firm in the United States. His firm was hired by Shada Shakarki to kidnap her daughter Leyla Shakarji and granddaughter with instructions that they be repatriated to Iraq despite their objections. His actions resulted in his detention by NCIS and extradition to Mexico to face charges.
While in Mexico he formed an alliance the children of Pedro Hernandez. The cabal concocted a plan to discredit and destroy Leroy Jethro Gibbs as Gibbs had been the one responsible for Hernandez's death. Colonel Bell was ultimately killed by Jason Paul Dean on orders from Paloma Reynosa.
Lee Wuan Kai
A professional assassin trained by the security forces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Kai had several confrontations with Leon Vance and even with the Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles before fleeing to D.C where she yet again caught up with Vance and the Major Case Response Team. Was killed by Jackie Vance.
Alejandro Rivera
A member of the Mexican Justice Department, he is the son of Pedro Hernandez.
Paloma Reynosa
Paloma Reynosa, was the head of the Reynosa drug cartel, and is the daughter of Pedro Hernandez. Died at the hands of her brother.
Riley McCallister
Riley McCallister, was a former NCIS Agent turned arms dealer who was killed by Director Leon Vance when Vance stabbed him in the chest or stomach after McCallister attempted to kill Vance.
Jonas Cobb
A Naval Lieutenant trained as an assassin by the CIA, he soon snapped and went insane before embarking on a career as a serial killer. Died when he was shot by Gibbs and Vance.
Harper Dearing
A reclusive billionaire who blamed the Navy for the death his only son. Dearing embarked on a campaign of domestic terrorism that culminated with the bombing of NCIS headquarters. An action sealed his fate because, the federal government issued orders that sanctioned the use of extraordinary tactics (i.e. extreme prejudice) in neutralizing Dearing up to and including killing him. Dearing was killed by Gibbs in their final confrontation as Dearing attempted to turn and firre
Plot
NCIS mainly takes place in Washington D.C. where the main Navy yard is, but in other places if that is the crime scene.
As NCIS is a federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction on crimes involving people and property associated with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, the team is frequently assigned to high-profile cases such as the death of the President's nuclear missile aide, a bomb situation on a U.S. Navy warship, the death of a celebrity on a reality show set on a USMC base, terrorist threats, and kidnappings.
The main enemy of Season one and two is Ari Haswari, a Mossad terrorist. In season four, it is René Benoit, La Grenouille (La Frog), an illegal arms dealer who is killed in the season premier for season five, "Bury Your Dead".
Seasons
JAG (2003)
The pilot episodes are in the eighth season of JAG. The pilot introduces the characters except for Caitlin Todd who is not introduced until the first episode of NCIS. The female character in this pilot is a Vivian Blackadder who is not seen again in any NCIS episode. The concept of an investigation team within the Navy.
Season One (2003-2004)
The first season deals essentially with introducing the characters and their strengths, skills and weaknesses. It also introduces the main foe for the first two seasons, Ari Haswari. It also introduces two more characters, Timothy McGee and Jimmy Palmer, a replacement for Gerald Jackson, who become main and recurring characters respectively.
Season Two (2004-2005)
By the time of this season Timothy McGee joined Gibbs's team as a Junior Special Agent, transferring from Norfolk Naval Base. At the end of this season, the team suffering a devastating when Caitlin Todd is killed by the main foe from the last season: Ari Haswari.
Season Three (2005-2006)
With the death of Caitlin Todd at the hands of Ari Haswari at the end of season two, Gibbs and the team hunt down Ari for good this time, with the help of Ziva David, who is introduced to replace Todd as the female character and also as Tony's partners. Also introduced at the beginning of season three is Jenny Shepard as NCIS director and as a love interest for Gibbs.
Season Four (2006-2007)
Gibbs left NCIS at the end of season 3 after a terrorist attack has been successful because his superiors did not heed his warnings. The team is now led, for a short time until Gibbs eventually returned, by Anthony DiNozzo. New characters introduced in this season are Michelle Lee, who was briefly on DiNozzo's team and was transferred to the legal department upon Gibbs' return and, already in the final episodes of season three, Gibbs' former mentor Mike Franks, both as recurring characters. Also, a bit later in the season, Hollis Mann is introduced as another love interest for Gibbs. An ongoing story throughout this season is Tony's relationship with Jeanne Benoit who at the end of the season is revealed to be René Benoit/La Grenouille's daughter.
Season Five (2007-2008)
Jenny Shepard was killed at the end of season 5, leaving the team devastated. Followng her death, Vance became the new Director and Tony was reassigned as an agent afloat on the Reagan, McGee was transferred to the cyber crimes unit while Ziva David's liaison position for Mossad was terminated which meant that she was going back to Israel. Gibbs received a new team, whose members were revealed in the Season Six premier.
Season Six (2008-2009)
Leon Vance, who was Deputy Director, and later Director ad interim, was made Director of NCIS with orders from the Secretary of the Navy to "set his house in order." Gibbs' new team consisted of Special Agents Brent Langer, Michelle Lee and Daniel Keating. The reason for the transfer, as told to Gibbs by Vance, was so Gibbs could study the team and see which of the team, each suspected of espionage, was the traitor. Initial indications seemed to implicate Agent Langer, who was shot and killed by Agent Lee. Since the case was supposedly closed Vance transferred Lee back to legal and Keating was reassigned to the cybercrimes unit. Officer David and Agent McGee were put back on Gibbs' team, with DiNozzo returning in Agent Afloat.
Agent Lee's subsequent conduct aroused Gibbs' suspicions, and he reported reservations to Director Vance, who ordered the case reopened. Further investigation revealed Agent Lee as the mole within NCIS. After her exposure, her interrogation by Gibbs shed light on the motive behind her actions. Agent Lee told Gibbs that her sister Amanda had been kidnapped and was being held hostage by an unknown individual or group who demanded that Agent Lee provide them with classified intelligence, including the plans for Project Domino, a top secret contingency plan developed by the Defense Department. Agent DiNozzo and Officer David rescued Amanda. Meanwhille, Gibbs confronted the kidnapper who had taken Agent Lee hostage. Lee gave up her life while attempting to subdue the terrorist. After learning that Amanda had been rescued, Lee signalled Gibbs to fire at the man holding her hostage. Gibbs did so killing both Michelle Lee and the insurgent. Gibbs took her badge and gave it to Amanda when she was in the squad room in the main NCIS headquarters.
Another major case involved the death of Lieutenant Nick Chandler, who was going to make a cash drop for a sleeper cell in Los Angeles as part of an operation organized by NICS Office of Special Projects. However, Lieutenant Chandler's involvement was discovered and someone shot at him causing to panic and flee to Washington D.C., where he was killed. As a result both Gibbs and McGee travelled to Los Angeles to assist the Office of Special Projects headed by Special Agent Lara Macy and the OSP team conducting the operation which consisted of G. Callen, Sam Hanna, Kensi Blye, and Mike Renko who had previously infiltrated the cell. Special Agent Macy told Gibbs that Lieutenant Chandler was supposed to meet an arms dealer named Liam.
In the ensuing operation the arms dealer Liam Patrick Coyle was killed, and his assassins were shot and killed by Gibbs, Macy, and Callen. Agent Callen assumed the role of Liam. The operation became complicated when the buyer for Liam's weapons was a Mossad Officer, named Michael Rivkin who was posing as Nick Khadiri. His assignment was to liquidate the cell by assassinating each of its members. The cell was ultimately neutralized and the surviving member being taken to custody although, the identity of cell's handler remains unknown. Both Macy and Gibbs ordered Rivkin to return to Israel or to face arrest. Rivkin returned to Tel Aviv, but, returned to D.C. orders of Director David of Mossad who ordered him to infiltrate a high level meeting of intelligence agencies at the Secretary of the Navy's residence. During, the attempted infiltration an agent of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was killed.
During, the course of the investigation DiNozzo learned that Rivkin had returned to Washington, and he informed Gibbs who ordered DiNozzo to keep a close watch on Rivkin. After learning of Rivkin's involvement in the infiltration of the Secretary of the Navy's compound, Tony confronted Rivkin at Ziva's apartment and in the ensuing confrontation Rivkin was shot and killed by DiNozzo in self-defense. The investigation that resulted from Tony and Rivkin's fatal encounter required Director Vance, Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva to travel to Israel. During his interrogation by Director David, Tony forced him to reveal that Michael Rivkin had been acting under the orders of Director David at the time of his death. In order to avoid an international incident Tony was not detained or indicted by the Israeli government and was allowed to return to the United States. Ziva elected to remain behind Israel. At conclusion of "Aliyah" Ziva was attempting to penetrate deeper into the organization that had established the sleeper cell in Los Angeles, but, in actuality, had been captured and was being held prisoner in Somalia while being tortured for information on NCIS.
Season Seven (2009-2010)
The seventh season opened with Gibbs, DiNozzo, and McGee orchestrating Ziva's rescue from captivity. Following her return to the Unted States Ziva resigned from Mossad. She subsequently applied to become both a naturalized citizen of the United States, and an NCIS agent. Director Vance approved her NCIS application assigning her to Gibbs' team. Ziva became the "Probie" on the team replacing McGee. At the conclusion of Rule Fifty-One Ziva was sworn in as a citizen of the United States.
The second major story arc involved Gibbs and focused on his past relationship with Pedro Hernandez and his children Paloma Reynosa and Alejandro Rivera. The arc began in Outlaws and In-Laws when Gibbs and the team foiled the attempt by Merton Bell and his associates to kidnap Mike Franks' daughter-in-law and granddaughter. The failed kidnapping resulted in Colonel Bell's detention and extradition to Mexico. After being freed from custody in Mexico through the combined efforts of Margaret Allison Hart and Alejandro Rivera, Bell allied himself with Paloma Reynosa in an effort to exact revenge on Gibbs. However, NCIS was made aware of the threat by Gibbs and information provided by Margaret Allison Hart who had developed an affection for Gibbs.
Several other notable characters were introduced during the seventh season including Anthony D. DiNozzo, Sr. portrayed by Robert Wagner and Lee Wuan Kai portrayed by Kelly Hu.
Season Eight (2010-2011)
Unlike previous seasons where several story arcs have occurred within a season, season eight possessed fewer story arcs. The seventh season arc involving Paloma Reynosa and the Reynosa Cartel concluded in Spider and the Fly. A smaller two episode arc in Enemies Foreign and Enemies Domestic permitted the resolution of the outstanding questions related to Gibbs's mission in Paris with then Agent Shepard, and it brought a degree of closure to the story-lines related to Ziva's capture in Somalia, and her father's lack of efforts to attempt a rescue.
The last quarter of the season witnessed the advent of the "Port to Port" serial killer prefigured by the introduction of Erica Jane Barrett. This period also witnessed the death of Michael Franks.
Season Nine (2011-2012)
Season 9 began with the Phantom Eight storyline although in the last few episodes, the terrorist, Harper Dearing, a man seeking revenge against the Navy for the death of his son was introduced.
The season ended with NCIS Headquarters coming under attack from Dearing and as such, the fate of all the characters was left hanging in the balance.
Season Ten (2012-2013)
Season 10 began with the news that the team had survived the bombing albeit suffering a few psychological scars while Ducky who had suffered a heart attack had managed to get treatment thanks to Palmer's actions. In January 2013, the team suffered a double loss when Vance's wife, Jackie Vance and Ziva's father, Eli David were both killed in a drive-by shooting.
In May 2013, in the Season 10 finale episode, Damned If You Do (episode), DiNozzo, McGee and Ziva reassigned to protect Gibbs.
Season Eleven (2013-2014)
The Season opened with McGee and Tony eventually rejoining the team while Tony opted to go looking for Ziva by himself after the team discovered that they were being targeted by a militia group called the Brotherhood of Doubt. In the aftermath, Ziva opted to behind in Israel with Tony reluctantly returning to the United States.
In Gut Check (episode), Ziva's replacement, NSA agent Eleanor Bishop was introduced.
Naming of the show
Before the launch of the first season, advertisements on CBS called the show as "Naval CIS." By the time of the launch of the first episode, NCIS was airing under the name Navy NCIS, the name it held for the entire first season. Since the "N" in NCIS stands for "Naval,” the name Navy NCIS was redundant. The decision to use this name was reportedly made by CBS, over the objections of Bellisario, in order to:
- Attract new viewers (particularly those of JAG), who might not know the NCIS abbreviation.
- Disambiguate between NCIS and the similarly-themed and similarly-spelled CBS series CSI and its spinoffs. (The original title, for instance, was often misquoted as "Navy CSI.")
After its successful first season, the name of the series was shortened to NCIS and that is the name it carries to this day.
American Ratings
| Season | Timeslot | Season Premiere | Season Finale | TV Season | Ranking | Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuesday 8:00PM | September 23, 2003 | May 25, 2004 | 2003–2004 | #26 | 11.84 |
| 2 | Tuesday 8:00PM | September 28, 2004 | May 24, 2005 | 2004–2005 | #22 | 13.57 |
| 3 | Tuesday 8:00PM | September 20, 2005 | May 16, 2006 | 2005–2006 | #16 | 15.27 |
| 4 | Tuesday 8:00PM | September 19, 2006 | May 22, 2007 | 2006–2007 | #18 | 14.54 |
| 5 | Tuesday 8:00PM | September 25, 2007 | May 20, 2008 | 2007–2008 | #14 | 14.41 |
| 6 | Tuesday 8:00PM | September 23, 2008 | May 19, 2009 | 2008–2009 | #5 | 17.77 |
| 7 | Tuesday 8:00PM | September 22, 2009 | May 25, 2010 | 2009-2010 | #4 | 19.33 |
| 8 | Tuesday 8:00PM | September 21, 2010 | May 17, 2011 | 2010-2011 | #5 | 19.46 |
| 9 | Tuesday 8:00PM | September 20, 2011 | May 15, 2012 | 2011-2012 | #3 | 19.49 |
NCIS has become a top 10 program in its fifth season, with an average of about 15.65 million viewers, despite the WGA strike. The show is one of the few that has increased in viewership as it progresses, as opposed to most shows, which decrease in popularity as they fade, and NCIS has even been able to finish a strong second to American Idol, a time slot seen by many as a "death slot" for most series.
The most watched NCIS episode to date is the seventh season episode Reunion with an audience of 21.37 million.
Broadcasting
The periods are used for place markers. Please feel free to fill them with the correct information, or give me the info to fill it with.
| Region | Title/Translation | TV Broadcaster(s) | Series Premiere | Weekly Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | NCIS | CBS Television (First run) and USA Network (Re-runs) (starting in 2008) |
September 23 2003 | Tuesday 8:00pm |
| Canada | NCIS | Global (season 4 on CH ), and also on NTV. The show was recently called up to Global for the 2007-2008 season. |
September 23 2003 | Tuesday 8:00pm ET |
| Asia | . | Star World | . | . |
| Arab World | . | Showtime Arabia Season 4 MBC Action Season 2 |
. | . |
| Australia | NCIS | Network Ten (first run) TV1 (syndication) |
. | Tuesday 8:30pm Sunday 8:30pm AEST |
| Belgium | Navy NCIS NCIS : enquêtes spéciales |
VT4 RTL-TVi |
. | Sunday 19:30 CET Friday 20:15 CET |
| Brazil | NCIS | AXN | . | Friday 8:00pm |
| Bulgaria | Военноморски Специален Отдел ("Naval special service") |
Nova Television | . | . |
| Chile | NCIS | AXN | . | . |
| Colombia | NCIS | AXN | . | Friday 8:00pm |
| Croatia | Navy CIS | Nova TV | . | Thursdays 11.15 pm |
| Czech Republic | Námořní vyšetřovací služba | TV Nova | February 21 2007 | Wednesday 22:30 CET |
| Denmark | Navy CIS | TV3, TV3+ | . | Monday-Friday at 14:15 and 15.10 at TV3+ Monday-Friday at 16.05 and 17.00 at TV3) CET |
| Finland | NCIS Rikostutkijat ("NCIS crime investigators") |
Nelonen | September 2 2006 | Tuesday 9:00pm EET |
| France | NCIS : enquêtes spéciales ("NCIS : special investigations") |
M6 | March 3 2004 | . |
| Germany | Navy CIS | Sat.1, Sat.1 HD | March 17 2005 | Thursday 21:15, Sunday 20:15 CET |
| Hungary | NCIS | TV 2 | October 17 2005 | Monday 9:00pm CET |
| Iceland | NCIS | Stöð 2 | . | Tuesday 8:55PM GMT |
| India | . | Star World | . | . |
| Ireland | . | wikipedia:RTE | . | Sunday nights just after 11pm. |
| Israel | אן-סי-איי-אס | The Hallmark Channel | . | . |
| Italy | Navy N.C.I.S. or NCIS: Unità Anticrimine | Rai 2, FoxCrime | . | Sunday and/or Monday 21:00 CET |
| Japan | NCIS: Navy Crime Investigation Team | FOX | . | . |
| Kosovo | NCIS: Navy Crime Investigation Team | Kohavision | . | . |
| Lithuania | Specialioji jūrų policijos tarnyba | LRT | . | . |
| Macedonia | Нејви | Sitel | . | Mondays 8:00PM |
| Malaysia | NCIS | Star World, 8TV | . | 8TV: Mondays 9:30PM |
| Netherlands | NCIS | Veronica/SBS 6 | . | Monday (Rerun) and Tuesday (New Episode) 20.30 CET |
| New Zealand | NCIS | TV3 | . | Tuesday 20:30 |
| Norway | NCIS | TV3 | . | . |
| Pakistan | . | Star World, The Hallmark Channel | . | Tuesdays at 23:00 Pakistan Standard Time |
| Philippines | . | RPN 9, Star World, Crime/Suspense | . | . |
| Poland | Agenci NCIS ("Agents of NCIS") | TVN | . | . |
| Portugal | Investigação Criminal ("Criminal Investigation") |
AXN | August 2005 | Wednesday 9.30 PM GMT |
| Serviço Naval de Investigação Criminal ("Criminal Investigation Naval Service") |
TVI | . | . | |
| Romania | NCIS: Anchetă militară ("NCIS: Military Investigation") | Prima TV (First run) and AXN (Re-runs) |
January 7 2007 | Sunday 9:30 PM EET Wednesday 9 PM EET, Saturday 8 PM EET |
| Quebec (Canada) | NCIS: Enquêtes spéciales ("NCIS : special investigations") |
Historia | . | . |
| Serbia | Маринци (Marines) | RTV Pink | . | Monday to Friday 12:00 PM |
| Slovakia | NCIS : Námorný Vyšetrovací Úrad ("NCIS : Navy Investigation Service") |
Markiza | . | . |
| Slovenia | Preiskovalci na delu: NCIS ("Investigators on work: NCIS") |
TV3 | . | . |
| South Africa | . | SABC 2 | . | . |
| Spain | Navy: investigación criminal ("Navy: criminal investigation") |
La Sexta, AXN | . | . |
| South Korea | . | XTM | . | . |
| Sweden | Navy CIS | TV3 | June 20 2004 | . Tuesdays 8:00 PM, rerun 6 PM Fridays. Season 1-6 Reruns, Monday-Thursday 6 Pm |
| Switzerland | NCIS : enquêtes spéciales ("NCIS : special investigations") |
TSR | . | . |
| Taiwan | NCIS 重返犯罪現場 ("NCIS - Return to the Crime Scene") |
PTS(Now under TBS) | . | . |
| Thailand | . | True Series | . | . |
| Turkey | NCIS | Dizimax | . | . |
| United Kingdom | NCIS | FX and Five | January 16 2004 | Tuesday 9pm on FX (First run as of season 4); Friday 9pm on Five (First run season 3, syndicated new seasons as of season 4); Saturday 8.05-8.15pm (first run seasons 1 and 2, syndicated repeats season 3-) on Five |
Relationship to Other Series
NCIS began with two episodes of JAG (Ice Queen and Melt Down which aired during the eighth season of JAG). NCIS the seires developed as a spin-off series originating from the aforementioned episodes of "JAG."
"NCIS" first spin-off series entitled NCIS: Los Angeles, about an NCIS team in California. The two episodes that served as the lead in for the NCIS: Los Angeles series aired as part of the sixth season of NCIS and were entitled Legend: Part One and Legend: Part Two respectively, as the original name for the spinoff was NCIS: Legend.