When we get this close to Christmas, we know what it means. Our broadcast TV shows go on a break, and that is the case for NCIS season 23 on CBS.
This is one of the last shows to take its winter break. NBC and ABC opted for November and early December as their fall finales for shows, while FOX mostly opted for early December. CBS is the only one to run into the later weeks for scripted shows, but that does come with some bad news on the other side.
NCIS season 23 won’t return in January 2026
The worst of the news is that we won’t get any episodes of CBS scripted shows in January 2026. All the shows are being held for the end of February, with NCIS season 23 coming back on Tuesday, Feb. 24. It will continue to kickoff NCIS Night on CBS at 8/7c.
The delay is arguably a good thing, though. First of all, CBS is pre-empting shows due to the Winter Olympics. While other networks are bringing shows back in January, they will then go on a break in February because NBC will air the Winter Olympic Games. This is always a big event, and it doesn’t make sense to risk the linear ratings of scripted shows up against it.
Instead of that inconsistency in the schedules, CBS has opted to wait until after the Olympics. The shows will then return, and there will be minimal breaks until the May finales, as there are fewer weeks to fill than there would have been had the shows returned in January. This is a win-win situation for us and for the network.
What to expect when NCIS season 23 returns
The NCIS season 23 fall finale brought closure for Alden Parker. He finally learned the truth about his mother’s death. The body in his mother’s grave didn’t belong to his mother. Instead, it was the body of his mother’s friend, who happened to be Lily’s mother. Eleanor was trying to protect Lily’s mother and Lily, but the mother was killed and Judy ended up getting away thanks to Eleanor.
In the end, Lily’s dad killed Eleanor, and when he was finally caught out, he admitted to everything and told Parker where Eleanor’s body was. The ending was bittersweet, but it was the closure that Parker needed all this time.
The biggest part of the ending was the cliffhanger, though. NCIS season 23 will return with Knight on a mission with her ELITE team, but this first mission will be a tough one. It’s to track down a former member of the team, who — as we all guessed — turned out to be Eleanor Bishop. Can Knight take down Bishop in another game of chess?
NCIS season 23 returns on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 8/7c on CBS.
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