The NCIS family just keeps growing — with a grand total of six shows within the franchise as of 2023.
While many fans might think the naval intelligence-based franchise began with NCIS, that’s not the case. The flagship NCIS show was actually JAG, which debuted on NBC in 1995.
The series followed military lawyers in the Department of the Navy’s Office of the Judge Advocate General who could prosecute and defend criminal cases under the code of military justice. NBC canceled the show after one season, but CBS picked it up.
The original drama, which starred David James Elliott and Catherine Bell, introduced Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and his team in the eighth season finale in 2003. The excitement around the backdoor pilot led to CBS ordering a full first season of NCIS, which premiered the following September.
More than 25 years after JAG started, the NCIS franchise is still alive and well. Scroll down to see all the spinoffs:
