The NCIS schedule pause is official. CBS will air no new episodes of NCIS, NCIS: New York, or NCIS: Origins on Tuesday, November 24. Instead, the network will fill its Tuesday night lineup with repeats. Fans will wait just one week, though. All three shows return with fresh episodes on December 1.
Key Facts
- What: CBS will air no new episodes of NCIS, NCIS: New York, or NCIS: Origins on Tuesday, November 24, 2026.
- What airs instead: Repeats fill the Tuesday lineup — an NCIS rerun at 8 p.m., the NCIS: New York pilot at 9 p.m., and another NCIS rerun at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
- Last new episodes before the break: All three shows air their sixth episodes on Tuesday, November 17.
- Return date: New episodes resume Tuesday, December 1, in the usual 8 p.m., 9 p.m., and 10 p.m. slots.
- Why: CBS has not named a specific reason, but the break lands in Thanksgiving week. It is the franchise’s second pause this month, after election coverage preempted the November 3 lineup.
The NCIS schedule pause is official. CBS will air no new episodes of NCIS, NCIS: New York, or NCIS: Origins on Tuesday, November 24. Instead, the network will fill its Tuesday night lineup with repeats. Fans will wait just one week, though. All three shows return with fresh episodes on December 1.
The timing will sting a little. November 17 brings three big episodes. As a result, the break lands right when the season is heating up. But this is not a cancellation, and it is not a production problem. CBS holds back episodes around the holidays most years, and the franchise has already survived one interruption this month.
When Is the NCIS Schedule Pause — and What Airs on November 24?
The NCIS schedule pause covers a single Tuesday. Here is the full picture, week by week:
| Date | 8 p.m. — NCIS | 9 p.m. — NCIS: New York | 10 p.m. — NCIS: Origins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, November 17 | Season 24, Episode 6, “Ride or Die” (new) | Season 1, Episode 6, “My Companion” (new) | Season 3, Episode 6, “Shot Through the Heart” (new) |
| Tuesday, November 24 | Repeat episode | Repeat of the series pilot | NCIS rerun (no Origins scheduled) |
| Tuesday, December 1 | Season 24, Episode 7, “Lucky Shot” (new) | Season 1, Episode 7, “The River” (new) | New episode (new) |
So the gap is short. November 17 is the last night of new episodes before the break, and December 1 brings the whole Tuesday block back at once. Meanwhile, viewers who tune in on November 24 still get their weekly fix — just not a new case.
What Happens on November 17 Before the Break?
Before the pause, each show airs its sixth episode of the season. And all three look like appointment viewing.
On the flagship, NCIS Season 24, Episode 6, “Ride or Die,” sends Nick Torres deep undercover. He becomes the getaway driver for a kidnapper played by True Blood alum James Frain. Torres must lean on his past work and play along, because everyone in the car has to make it out alive.
At 9 p.m., NCIS: New York airs “My Companion.” The case turns on a Navy admiral who sacrifices himself to save an AI tech mogul, the target of an assassination plot. It is the kind of high-stakes, ripped-from-the-headlines story the new spinoff has built its first season around.
Gary Cole plays Special Agent Alden Parker, who leads the flagship NCIS team in Season 24. Photo: David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
NCIS: Origins Keeps the Reunions Coming in “Shot Through the Heart”
At 10 p.m., NCIS: Origins closes the night with “Shot Through the Heart.” The episode brings past and present together. In the present day, Muse Watson returns as the older Mike Franks, joining Gibbs as he seeks answers about what truly happened to Lala years earlier. Back in 1993, meanwhile, the team scrambles to find a mole after FBI Agent Casey Bloom, played by Sean Harmon, is shot.
Watson is far from the only familiar face. Emily Wickersham will appear once again as Ellie Bishop, and the episode also highlights the growing bond between Lala and the younger Franks, played by Kyle Schmid. The guest list fits a season built on reunions. It already featured Michael Weatherly, Adam Campbell, and a brief voice cameo from Rocky Carroll as the late Leon Vance.
Why Is CBS Pausing NCIS in November?
CBS has not said exactly why it is holding the shows on November 24. However, the date gives the answer away. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, so the break lands in the heart of Thanksgiving week. Networks often clear their schedules around major holidays, when viewing habits change and many people travel.
It is also worth noting that this is the second interruption of the month. CBS preempted the entire Tuesday lineup on November 3 for midterm election coverage, and new episodes returned on November 10 with “Speechless.” That episode gave Katrina Law a career highlight, as her real-life daughter made her acting debut as a young witness. The franchise bounced back from that pause without missing a beat, and the same should hold true here.
LL COOL J stars as Sam Hanna on NCIS: New York, the franchise’s newest spinoff. Photo: U.S. State Department, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
What the NCIS Schedule Pause Means for the Rest of the Season
The good news is that the pause changes nothing about the season itself. The franchise will keep airing on Tuesdays through the rest of the fall, and only a few weeks will remain until the midseason finales once the shows return on December 1.
There is plenty left to resolve. Season 24 opened on October 6 with Tony DiNozzo, played by Michael Weatherly, stepping in as the agency’s new director. McGee’s son faces trial for hacking the NCIS database. Torres has taken on CIA work and keeps confronting his dark past. Each of those threads will pick up again after the break.
On Origins, Mark Harmon is back as Gibbs in Season 3. The season runs for 10 episodes, so the November 10 return already marked its halfway point. The remaining episodes will carry the Lala mystery and the Franks storyline to their next turning point.
For now, the plan is simple. Watch the three new episodes on November 17, skip the repeats on November 24, and mark December 1 for the return. The agents will be back on the case before the month is out.
How to Watch NCIS During the Break
New episodes air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, with NCIS: New York at 9 p.m. and NCIS: Origins at 10 p.m. Viewers can also stream the shows on Paramount+, live with a Premium plan or on demand the next day with Essential. Local listings may vary, so fans should check their CBS station for the exact repeat lineup on November 24.
Related reading on CelebWatch: NCIS ‘Speechless’: Katrina Law Acts Alongside Her Real Daughter in Her Favorite Episode Ever; Why Cote de Pablo (Ziva David) Left NCIS; I’m A Celebrity 2026: Rooney’s Skydive, Adepitan’s Historic First and Everything to Know Before Monday’s Launch.
Sources
- Collider — All 3 ‘NCIS’ Series Officially Pulled for Another Week This Month
- Just Jared — When Are New ‘NCIS’ Episodes Back? CBS Repeats All 3 Shows on Nov. 24
- Screen Rant — All 3 NCIS Shows Pulled From CBS Schedule For Another Week
