‘NCIS’ Moving to New Night and Time on CBS for Season 19

NCIS is undergoing a bit of a shakeup. As the beloved CBS drama heads into a new season, it is switching nights and times. When the network unveiled the 2021 CBS Fall TV Schedule back in May, it revealed that NCIS Season 19 will move to Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET. The move will mark a major change, as the police procedural has remained in the same Tuesday 8 p.m. timeslot ever since its debut back in 2003.

The move will make room for a full FBI block on Tuesday nights. FBI is set to air at 8 p.m. ET, followed by FBI: International at 9 p.m., and FBI: Most Wanted at 10 p.m. The move will also allow NCIS to be the lead-in show for the new spinoff series NCIS: Hawaii, potentially bringing in more viewers and helping to give the show’s freshman run good ratings. TVInsider‘s Matt Roush called the move a “calculated risk” that likely will not have any major impact on NCIS‘ ratings and viewership numbers given the loyal fanbase, something that CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl suggested in a statement to Variety.

“If you look at the proof of what does work, these franchises work. And they and they work on a multitude of levels. They generally get pretty darn good live ratings, they get good delayed viewing, and they stream pretty well,” she said. “That’s a win-win-win. That’s a win for viewers, that’s a win for the shows, that’s a win for the companies that own them. That’s what we’re looking for these days.”

The decision to shift the long-running show’s time slow comes amid growing speculation that series lead Mark Harmon, who has portrayed Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs since the show’s inception, could be preparing to leave the series. Although it was confirmed that Harmon renewed his contract through Season 19 when the network confirmed in April it picked NCIS up for an additional season, new reports, citing sources close to the show, have claimed the actor will only make “a few” appearances throughout the season. His total Season 19 episode count is alleged to be “in the low single digits.” It had been reported prior to the Season 19 renewal that Harmon was ready to leave the show before learning that his departure could mean the end of the series.

NCIS Season 19 does not yet have a premiere date. When it does return, it will be airing in the new timeslot of Mondays at 9 p.m. ET. Previous seasons of the beloved show are available for streaming on Paramount+, which you can sign up for with a free trial by clicking here.

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