NCIS has been one of the biggest success stories in TV history, but like the countless other long-running shows still on the air, it’s showing its age.
The CBS procedural has slumped to around 5.2 million viewers and a 0.36 rating among adults 18-49 this season.
That number means it ranks seventh out of the 16 scripted series the network has scheduled this season.
With a week of DVR factored in, NCIS Season 22’s numbers rise to 7.6 million viewers and a 0.52 rating, but the show is off over 20% compared to last year.
That means that there’s a genuine possibility that CBS could be considering putting the mothership out to pasture.
Twenty-two seasons is a milestone few shows ever reach, but it wouldn’t have been possible without devoted fans watching for so long.
The success of the series paved the way for NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawai’i, NCIS: Sydney, and NCIS: Tony & Ziva.
While it’s evident that the franchise has seen better days, there’s no telling what the future could hold for NCIS at this point.
CBS made headlines for canceling long-running shows like Blue Bloods and NCIS: Los Angeles in recent years, so nothing is off the table at this point.
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The lower-than-expected performance this season could be attributed to a wealth of factors, but long-running shows tend to be on a slippery slope in their final years, which is a bad sign because budgets are higher for more seasoned shows.
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Sometimes, networks part ways with proven franchises because they’re no longer more worthwhile than trying out a string of new shows, and CBS has had tremendous success this season with its update of Matlock.
The Kathy Bates-fronted reboot is averaging 10 million viewers and a 0.6 rating with a week of DVR factored in, so it makes sense that it scored a speedy renewal.
NCIS has been creatively in a rut for a long time, despite a short-term upswing when Gary Cole took over for original star Mark Harmon.
The series likely saved a hefty chunk of change when Mark decided to walk away, and truthfully, when you consider the ratings, we don’t think it would have survived as long if he hadn’t.
The NCIS brand is recognized globally, so it’s the kind of franchise CBS will want to milk for as long as possible.
Unfortunately, the current numbers signal that there may not be enough gas in the tank even to sustain one more season.
Paramount+ is already testing the franchise’s weight with the streaming exclusive NCIS: Tony & Ziva.
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However, given that the Frasier reboot was just canceled after two seasons, streaming services may not be the savior of well-known franchises, as first thought.
Of course, many platforms initially spent more money than they earned on content in hopes of hooking viewers.
Still, nowadays, services are scaling back their spending because the market is proving to be more difficult than it was a few years ago.
The NCIS Universe is Fading
The NCIS franchise is slowly dying out, and viewers ignoring NCIS: Origins is a good sign of that.
The Austin Stowell-fronted prequel features a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs and a pretty decent plot. If Gibbs can’t draw decent viewers, what hope does the rest of the franchise have?
NCIS’ numbers don’t put it in cancellable territory at this moment, but we wouldn’t be too surprised if CBS picked up a 23rd and final season to wrap up the storylines for good.
The network has already proven that the spinoffs are expendable, with last-minute cancellations, so executives will likely decide to kill NCIS for good soon.
That said, there’s every reason to believe that characters will pop up in other shows.
Can CBS Afford to Cancel NCIS?
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Still, after NCIS: Los Angeles’ LL Cool J moved over to NCIS: Hawai’i, only for the sun-soaked spinoff to get the chop, longtime fans probably aren’t holding their breaths about getting anything of substance.
What are your thoughts on the current state of NCIS? Do you think the show’s quality warrants more seasons, or is it time for CBS to put it in the vault?
It’s your turn! Share your thoughts below. Let’s start a conversation!
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