Sean Murray and Brian Dietzen address the possibility of NCIS season 22 happening. CBS’ long-running police procedural is approaching the halfway mark of its shortened year, which is due to the historic dual Hollywood strikes of 2023. There’s still a lot to expect from this season, including NCIS’ milestone overall 1000th episode, with the story focusing on director Leon Vance. Beyond that, however, CBS has yet to announce the show’s definitive fate.
In a new conversation with TVInsider, Murray and Dietzen, who are the longest-serving cast members as Tim McGee and Jimmy Palmer, discuss the possibility of NCIS season 22 coming to fruition. Both are confident that CBS will eventually renew the police procedural, especially considering the response that they are getting to their current storytelling. Read their full comments below:
Murray : “You never know how things are going to go. But knowing the way that things are going now and seeing the response we’re getting here in this sort of abbreviated Season 21, I think things will go well and I would expect to see a Season 22, very much so.”
Dietzen : “I’m hoping [there will be another season]. I think that no one ever wants to count their chickens, but I think that the show has been doing really well,” he said. “And why stop at 1,000? I feel like we’re halfway there. We want a clean, even 2,000. We’ll just keep it rolling.”
Why NCIS Season 22 Will Likely Happen
As TV’s most successful franchise, CBS will likely be more than interested in keeping NCIS on the air for as long as possible.
Like most network shows, NCIS season 21 returned in 2024, but despite having only released a few episodes thus far, a lot has already happened to Special Agent Alden Parker’s team. Nick Torres was accused of murder and was almost sent to prison and then Ducky died, which prompted the unexpected return of Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo. Moving forward, there are a few more interesting plots, which include the introduction of Jessica Knight’s dad and the debut of an unknown McGee clan member. This indicates that after two decades on the air, NCIS still has compelling storytelling.
As TV’s most successful franchise, CBS will likely be more than interested in keeping NCIS on the air for as long as possible. Granted that the renewal is taking longer than usual, especially since the network has already ordered additional seasons of their other popular series, it shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Perhaps the current hold-up stems from contract negotiations, which are always tricky to navigate, especially with such a big cast. Whatever it is, if both Murray and Dietzen are optimistic about their chances of being renewed, then it’s likely that it’s going to happen.
Canceling the mothership NCIS series just as fan-favorite characters like Leroy Jethro Gibbs, DiNozzo, and Ziva David are about to return to the universe would also be a big missed opportunity. While there is currently no word that they will make an appearance in the main show, the door is open for all of them to come back. A reunion moving forward before they splinter and focus on their shows, NCIS: Origins and the Tony and Ziva spinoff, would be great, and the parent series would be the perfect venue for that.
