NCIS is one of the longest running and most successful television shows of all time. It debuted in 2003 with co-creators and executive producers Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill at the helm. The show stars Vietnam veteran and Special Agent in Charge Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), as he leads his Naval Criminal Investigative Service team, operating near Washington D.C. Even with its many casting changes, NCIS has maintained its popularity through the years and will premiere its 19th season in the Fall of 2021 on CBS.
If you need something to watch in the meantime, here is a list of seven different shows that might interest you if you like NCIS.
JAG
JAG (Judge Advocate General) started in 1995 and ended in 2005 with its 10th season and 227th episode. This is actually the series that preceded and introduced NCIS, and it was also created and produced by Donald P. Bellisario, who has the same roles on NCIS. JAG stars Navy Cmdr. Harmon Rabb, Jr. (David James Elliott), who is a former pilot turned lawyer. His team of elite lawyers prosecutes and defends military personal who are involved in crimes. Rabb’s love interest on the show is his fellow lawyer Marine Lt. Col. Sarah MacKenzie (Catherine Bell). For professional reasons, they have to keep their relationship on hold, but the chemistry is unmistakable. Together, they travel the world to defend our military personnel. The show originally aired on CBS.
BULL
If you were a fan of Tony Dinozzo (Michael Weatherly) on NCIS, you will be happy to know that he now leads his own show on CBS called BULL. Weatherly stars as trial scientist Dr. Jason Bull who owns and operates the Trial Analysis Corporation, or TAC. Relying on psychology, intuition and technology, Bull and his expert team try to predict and understand what jury members will think before they think it so that they can better defend their clients in court. The show was created by Phil McGraw and Paul Attanasio in 2016 and Season 6 will premiere in the Fall of 2021 on CBS.
The Law and Order Franchise
The only still-airing, non-animated TV show that is longer running than NCIS is Law and Order: SVU. The show debuted in 1999 and currently has 20 seasons and 494 episodes with Dick Wolf as its creator and executive producer. The show follows the Special Victims Unit of the N.Y.P.D. as its team of specialized detectives investigate sexually related crimes. Given its long airtime, the show has seen many characters come and go. Currently, the lead detective is Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) who has been in every episode to date.
Law and Order: SVU is not a completely standalone show; there have been multiple spin-offs with varying success, including Law and Order: Los Angeles, Trial by Jury, Criminal Intent, True Crime, UK, Hate Crimes, For the Defense and Organized Crimes. That’s not even including the highly successful, original Law and Order series that started everything and ended in 2010 with 456 episodes. The Law and Order franchise airs on NBC.
FBI and FBI: Most Wanted
If you like the vibe of Law and Order, there is also the much newer FBI shows. From the same creator and executive producer, Dick Wolf, FBI and FBI: Most Wanted debuted in 2018. The former is headlined by Special Agent Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym) and Special Agent Omar Adom ‘OA’ Zidan (Zeeko Zaki) who work out of the New York FBI office. FBI focuses on the inner workings of the FBI office as the team works to keep the nation safe. FBI: Most Wanted follows a similar premise as it follows Special Agent Jess LaCroix (Julian McMahon) and his team as they travel the country and take on high profile cases. Both shows air on CBS.
Blue Bloods
Also based out of New York City, Blue Bloods follows the fictional Reagan family. They are a traditional Irish-American Catholic family that gathers for Sunday dinner, but during the week, they all work for the N.Y.P.D. Each member has their own role: Frank (Tom Selleck) as the commissioner, Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) is the detective, Jamie (Will Estes) is a beat cop and Erin (Bridget Moynahan) works as a prosecutor. Currently on Season 11, Blue Bloods debuted in 2010 on CBS with Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess working as producers and executive producers.
The Rookie
If you’re into the beat cop shows, rather than professional investigators, The Rookie is for you. It follows a group of rookie police officers in the L.A.P.D. as they learn on the fly with their training officers. The show is headlined by former Castle star Nathan Fillion. He plays John Nolan, a 45-year-old, newly divorced man who is seeking a new career after inadvertently helping to stop a bank robbery back in his home state of Pennsylvania.
Currently slated for a fourth season on ABC, The Rookie premiered in 2018 and is known for depicting real-life tensions and current events regarding police departments.
SWAT
Also set in Los Angeles, SWAT stars former Marine Sergeant Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson (Shemar Moore) and his team of specially trained officers on the Special Weapons and Tactics unit. Together, they work to keep Los Angeles safe while focusing on building a good relationship between their police force and the community. Similar to The Rookie, SWAT does a good job of depicting current events that involve police officers. The show was based off a 1975 show of the same name and was developed by Aaron Rahsaan Thomas and Shawn Ryan. It is currently on its fifth season on CBS.
Bonus: NCIS Hawaii
CBS has announced the debut of NCIS: Hawaii, set to premiere this Fall. The show will likely be similar to the other shows in the NCIS franchise, except it will be led by the franchise’s first female lead, Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey). The show was created by and will be produced by former NCIS: New Orleans showrunner Christopher Silber along with Jan Nash and Matt Bosack. The series is set to premier this Fall.