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CBS sets an earlier than usual finale date for NCIS Season 21

NCIS Season 21 will wrap up its season a little earlier than normal. Here's the date that you need to put in your diary.

ByAlexandria Ingham|
“Strange Invaders” – After discovering a navy pilot’s body riddled with unusual wounds, NCIS’ investigation draws the team into the rabbit hole of UFO conspiracy theories, on the CBS Original series NCIS, Monday, April 1 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Pictured (L-R): Gary Cole as Alden Parker, Wilmer
“Strange Invaders” – After discovering a navy pilot’s body riddled with unusual wounds, NCIS’ investigation draws the team into the rabbit hole of UFO conspiracy theories, on the CBS Original series NCIS, Monday, April 1 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Pictured (L-R): Gary Cole as Alden Parker, Wilmer

Not only did we have a later-than-normal start, but we’re also getting an earlier-than-normal finish for a few CBS shows. The NCIS Season 21 finale date is set, and it’s in early May.

CBS has officially set the finale date for Monday, May 6. The episode will air at 9 p.m. ET/PT as usual, and it will be followed by the NCIS: Hawaii Season 3 finale.

Why is the NCIS Season 21 finale date so early?

This early date isn’t all that surprising when we consider the difficulties with production this season. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes meant that writer rooms couldn’t get opened in May and June as usual. Then the actors couldn’t get to work throughout the summer.

The fall shows were pushed to the midseason, and networks made it clear that we wouldn’t get full season orders. A 10-13-episode season was something that we had to expect for the majority of shows, and that is the way it’s working.

NCIS Season 21 is only getting 10 episodes. This is disappointing for fans, but we at Precinct TV still stand by the writers and actors who went on strike. So, while disappointing, it is understandable.

The good news with the early NCIS finale date

We’re used to mid- to late-May finale dates for most broadcast shows. That’s especially the case for the big shows like NCIS. However, the shorter season order meant that CBS had two options.

The first was to bring in more breaks in the schedule. The second option was for an early finale date. The network has opted for an early finale date.

In some good news, it means that there won’t be a break once the 1000th episode of NCISverse airs. That will air on Monday, April 15, so we will then get four weeks of episodes back-to-back. Meanwhile, NBC is opting for a longer break in April with a normal finale date, so it will be interesting to see which network fares better with plans.

Is NCIS Season 22 happening?

Of course, eyes are now on renewals. As of this moment, CBS hasn’t renewed a lot of shows. We’re expecting to see a renewal for this one, though.

We just have to look at how the series is still strong in the ratings. It is also spawning more spin-offs, and CBS will want to keep the flagship series on the air for as long as possible. We fully expect NCIS Season 22 to premiere in fall 2024.

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