Saturday, June 6, 2026

Is Ratings Giant “NCIS” Petering Out After 22 Seasons? Numbers Dropping Every Week to Lowest Ever

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“NCIS” has long been a ratings colossus for CBS. Now in its 22nd season, the procedural hour has spun off several iterations and always seemed invincible.

But this past Monday brought the lowed rated episode ever. With just 5.9 million viewers, the episode was more less tied with one from September 2022.

Every single week this season has shown a steady and unabated decline. On February 12th, episode 1 came in at 7.3 million. Six weeks later, we’re at 5.896 million.

This news comes at a tricky time since “NCIS” is going to launch a spin off on Paramount Plus with Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo reprising their former roles. At this point, those two should come to the main show and help prop it up. Either that or bring back Mark Harmon.

“NCIS” will certainly be renewed for Season 23. But if things keep going this way, season 24 seems shaky.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009 and previously edited Fame magazine and wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. is articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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