It’s a competitive time for broadcast TV, and NCIS has once again blown away the competition.
The Tuesday night finale of the hit procedural reached 8.5 million in the ratings, easily beating any other shows that aired that night. This isn’t new for NCIS. In fact, the show is one of the most successful dramas currently on network television in the ratings.
The ‘NCIS’ Finale Saw one Lead Exit, Promised Another’s Return
A lot went down in the recent NCIS season finale. Since it’s long been rumored that Harmon wants to depart the show, fans wondered what the finale would do with his leading character, Jethro Gibbs. Meanwhile, another actor on the show said goodbye. Emily Wickersham, who played Agent Bishop, has officially left the show.
“What a great ride it’s been. I can’t say enough kind words about this group that I’ve had the pleasure of working with for close to 8 years now and 172 episodes later,” Wickersham said in an Instagram post. She added that a gig like NCIS is a rare opportunity for actors in an unstable industry.
“This business is finicky and weird, and consistency is a rarity. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of a show where I got to show up and act and laugh and learn with wonderful people,” she wrote.
Alternately, Mark Harmon is slated to return despite rumors. How much the actor will appear is unknown at this point. Harmon, who leads the series, seems to be winding down his career. For CBS, however, Harmon is a crucial part of their ratings success. Apparently, the network is very hesitant to let him go.
The finale saw Harmon’s character in a tentative position, presumably faking his own death to escape a killer. The storyline for Gibbs seems quite separate from that of the team. May think Harmon will appear in a handful of episodes in the upcoming 19th season.
The ratings giant is on hiatus for now but will return to TV in the fall. The show will return with not only a new Monday night timeslot but a new spinoff. The all-new NCIS: Hawai’i will feature Vanessa Lachey, Yasmine Al-bustami, and Jason Antoon. It’ll follow an NCIS team on the island. Like all NCIS shows, NCIS: Hawai’i will be filmed on location.
CBS as a whole did quite well on Tuesday night, while Fox took a massive hit. The Voice also took a big hit with its finale down in the ratings from its last one. In spite of the fact that NCIS is almost two decades old, it’s clear that it’s not slowing down anytime soon.
