“NCIS Season 21 Faces Sudden Schedule Shake-Up, Leaving Fans Disappointed Shortly After Its Return”
Following delays caused by actor and writer strikes last year, the CBS police procedural NCIS experienced significant setbacks. Instead of its usual September premiere, Season 21 was postponed by five months, finally debuting in mid-February. Since then, the show has maintained a weekly airing schedule, with Episode Two, “The Stories We Leave Behind,” standing out for its poignant tribute to the late Ducky star David McCallum.
Despite airing only a handful of episodes, NCIS did not return for its expected Episode Five last night, Monday, March 11.
The resolution of the strikes has brought relief, but their impact on the 2023-2024 season’s scheduling persists. Normally, the season concludes in May, and NCIS traditionally has sufficient episodes to fill this timeframe with intermittent breaks. However, the lingering effect of the strikes means that Season 21 will be notably shorter, comprising only 13 episodes instead of the customary 22. To align with the customary May finale, more frequent scheduled breaks are now necessary.
NCIS will be going on a brief hiatus for two weeks, with episode five, “The Plan,” set to return to our screens on Monday, March 25. As of now, details about this episode remain under wraps, leaving fans eagerly anticipating what’s to come. The hiatuses aren’t exclusive to NCIS, as its spin-off NCIS: Hawai’i is also experiencing delays. NCIS: Hawai’i will resume airing on the same date, Monday, March 25, with an episode titled “Serve and Protect.”