CBS is officially launching the 24th season of its long-running crime drama NCIS on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The milestone premiere resolves last season’s dramatic cliffhanger while kicking off a packed night of franchise programming across broadcast television and streaming platforms.
The season premiere addresses the immediate fallout from the Season 23 finale standoff. The final episode, titled “Sons and Daughters,” featured a tense office confrontation between Special Agent Nick Torres, played by Wilmer Valderrama, and Mateo Garcia, played by Patrick Keleher. The encounter ended abruptly with a gunshot and a screen fade to black, leaving fans wondering who pulled the trigger and who was struck.
Alongside resolving the unresolved standoff, the core team immediately investigates a mysterious new threat directed at the Secretary of the Navy, according to the official episode logline provided by the network.
Michael Weatherly Returns as Tony DiNozzo
A major highlight of the new season is the return of fan-favorite star Michael Weatherly as Special Agent Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo for a season-long story arc. Weatherly, an original cast member who starred in the first 13 seasons and appeared in more than 300 episodes, re-enters the nation’s capital to open a satellite office for his private security firm.
Weatherly’s return follows his recent appearance in the Paramount+ original series NCIS: Tony & Ziva. Producers have confirmed that the events and canon established in that spinoff series will be woven directly into Tony’s storyline this season.
Season 24 Cast and Leadership Changes
The core roster for NCIS Season 24 features a familiar lineup of investigators alongside Weatherly’s return:
- Sean Murray as Special Agent Timothy McGee
- Wilmer Valderrama as Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Torres
- Brian Dietzen as Dr. Jimmy Palmer
- Diona Reasonover as Forensic Scientist Kasie Hines
- Katrina Law as Special Agent Jessica Knight
- Gary Cole as Special Agent Alden Parker
- Michael Weatherly as Special Agent Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo
The agency also continues to navigate internal transitions following the death of longtime NCIS Director Leon Vance, played by Rocky Carroll, during the show’s landmark 500th episode. While Carroll will not return as Vance, the actor remains involved with the series behind the camera as a director.
A Massive Night of Franchise Programming
The Season 24 premiere of NCIS anchors a three-hour block of military procedural programming on CBS. Following the flagship series at 8 p.m. ET/PT, NCIS: Origins returns for Season 3 at 9 p.m., followed immediately by the series premiere of NCIS: New York at 10 p.m., which features LL COOL J reprising his role as Sam Hanna from NCIS: Los Angeles.
New episodes of NCIS air weekly on Tuesday nights on CBS. Subscribers of the Paramount+ Premium plan can stream new episodes live as they air, while all subscribers can access new episodes on demand the day after their broadcast premiere.
