NCIS: Here's a complete guide to watch every show in the procedural franchise in order

The NCIS franchise has become one of the most enduring and successful universes with a huge set of fans looking forward to its new shows and spinoffs.

The flagship CBS military police procedural remains on the air even today after decades of its first-ever launch, with no clear indication of wrapping up soon. With its ongoing popularity, the world of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo, Ziva David, and countless other iconic characters might continue to live on for years to come.

According to reports, various spin-offs of the show have produced almost 1000 episodes and 46 seasons in total. That massive output makes a full watch-through of every series a daunting task. But for the fans who still want to experience the story from the beginning, there is a chronology you must follow.

Here is the complete list in order of all the NCIS spinoffs, which will help you follow the sequence of events better within its vast fictional universe.

How to watch NCIS shows in order?

While the NCIS franchise has become a television juggernaut, its roots trace back to the 1990s legal drama JAG. Though JAG itself isn’t officially part of the franchise, it provided the launchpad in 2003.

After five months, NCIS premiered on CBS, kicking off the most successful crime drama in television history. The series gained a loyal audience quickly, and the franchise is still running and producing with more upcoming spin-offs under development.

All NCIS shows are available exclusively on Paramount+ and are broadcast initially on CBS. The upcoming spin-off, Tony & Ziva, is set to premiere on September 4, 2025. With a total of seven shows under the franchise, here is the accurate chronological order you must follow if you are starting from scratch.

• NCIS: Origins
• NCIS
• NCIS: Los Angeles
• NCIS: New Orleans
• NCIS: Hawai'i
• NCIS: Sydney
• NCIS: Tony & Ziva

Here is how these shows have been released, along with the original NCIS, sequels, and prequels. Refer to the table below for their premiere dates and the number of seasons you would have to binge-watch to experience the show at its fullest:

More about the NCIS spin-offs and crossover episodes

As mentioned, over its 40+ seasons and 1,000+ episodes, the NCIS franchise has staged multiple crossover events, sometimes linking two series and occasionally three at once. The crossovers usually work smoothly as the show mostly airs on CBS, making the scheduling and coordination easier. With upcoming spinoffs like Tony & Ziva and three other shows still running, fans can expect more crossovers ahead.

NCIS: Los Angeles, launched in 2009, is the first spinoff to follow a team specializing in undercover assignments and high-stakes missions on the West Coast. New Orleans in 2014 highlighted the city's new culture, while Hawai'i brought the same action to the Pacific region, led by Vanessa Lachey as Special Agent Jane Tennant, the first female lead in the franchise.

The Sydney spinoff is set in Australia, while the Origins series explores Gibbs' early years as a young special agent, hence a prequel to the main NCIS. Lastly, Tony & Ziva reunite fan favourite characters Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David, journeying on another new adventure.

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