NCIS (franchise)
NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is a media franchise of American television programs originally created by Donald P. Bellisario and currently broadcast on CBS, all of which deal with military related criminal investigations based on the Naval Criminal Investigative Service of the United States Department of the Navy, which includes the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.
In 2003, NCIS was introduced via a backdoor pilot, from the TV show JAG with NCIS in turn spinning off NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans in 2009 and 2014, respectively. NCIS: Los Angeles had a proposed spin-off, but it was later not picked up by CBS.
As of May 19, 2015, 449 episodes of the NCIS franchise have aired. The main NCIS series is the longest-running show of the franchise concluding its twelfth season and premiering season thirteen on September 22, 2015.
Overview
NCIS, voted America's favorite Television Series in 2011, finished its tenth season as the most-watched television series in the U.S. during 2012–13 and is broadcast in over 200 territories worldwide. As of the end of the 2014–15 TV season, NCIS remains TV's most watched drama series. Spin-off NCIS: New Orleans ended its first season as the second most watched drama on CBS, and the fifth most watched series on TV. NCIS: Los Angeles ended its fifth season as the fourth most watched series on TV, and the second most watched drama.