Every NCIS Spin-Off Series Ranked From Worst To Best

When the legal drama “JAG” premiered in 1995, nobody realized it was the start of one of TV’s biggest franchises. Curiouser still, the franchise it birthed rarely ventured back into the courtroom, with its first spin-off, “Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service,” setting the tone for all that would follow, with a mix of military action, investigative mystery, and police procedural. 

Arriving in 2003, “NCIS” originally starred Mark Harmon as gung-ho NCIS agent Jethro Gibbs, and for nearly 20 years he put all manner of criminals behind bars and solved any number of military mysteries. During its decades on the air, Gibbs was joined by the likes of Sam Hanna (LL Cool J), Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula), and Michelle Mackey (Olivia Swann) in a series of spin-offs that took “NCIS” across the country and around the world. 

2025 sees the arrival of a new “NCIS” series with the premiere of “NCIS: Tony and Ziva,” the franchise’s first true spin-off, following a pair of characters who made their debut during the early days of the original “NCIS.” “Tony and Ziva” marks the sixth spin-off in the “NCIS” universe, and expectations are high, especially since the previous five have delivered what fans want: exciting criminal cases, plenty of personal drama, and a certain military flavor that sets them apart from others in the genre. If you’re curious where the other five spin-offs rank, wonder no longer — we’ve sifted through fan-made lists, user reviews, and critical scores to come up with a list of every “NCIS” spin-off, ranked worst to best.

Following the success of “NCIS: Hawai’i,” which took the franchise off the continental mainland for the first time, the series had nowhere else to go but international. The result was “NCIS: Sydney,” set halfway around the world. Filmed on location in Australia, with a cast of local Australian actors, the 2022 spin-off is a co-production between CBS and Endemol Shine Australia.

“NCIS: Sydney” follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, using the tried-and-true franchise formula while leaning into the local culture. The show revolves around the exploits of a special task force made up of agents from the American Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Australian Federal Police, who have teamed up to tackle cases involving American servicemen in the region. The task force is led by NCIS Special Agent-in-Charge Michelle Mackey (Olivia Swann), in tandem with AFP agent JD Dempsey (Todd Lasance).

Located in the land of the antipodes, the American NCIS agents are fish out of water, and the series has a lot of fun introducing unique features of Australian life and culture, from deadly snakes to rowdy pubs and Vegemite. For all its eccentric flavor, of course, it’s still an “NCIS” show, and fans will get everything they’re looking for from a new cast of Aussie investigators. Going into its third season in the fall of 2025, it hasn’t done quite enough yet to distinguish itself, but the future is bright in the Land Down Under.

With the exception of the currently-airing “NCIS: Sydney,” “NCIS: Hawai’i” is the shortest-lived “NCIS” spin-off, debuting in 2021 and ending after three seasons in 2024. Following a team of investigators based at the agency’s field office at Pearl Harbor, the series is led by Vanessa Lachey as Special Agent-in-Charge Jane Tennant.

Tennant is a more by-the-book agent than the likes of Jethro Gibbs, a steady hand who cares about her team and is never afraid to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty right beside them. Along for the ride is Tennant’s second-in-command Jesse Boone (Noah Mills), fresh-faced agent Kai Holman (Alex Tarrant), cyber intelligence officer Ernie Malik (Jason Antoon), and junior agent Lucy Tara (Yasmine Al-Bustami). In addition to a dedicated team of naval investigators, Tennant also works with Special Agent Kate Whistler (Tori Anderson), an FBI liaison.

“Hawai’i” and its island premise allowed for new, unique stories, with a flavor that set it apart from previous spin-offs, and is notable for being the first entry in the franchise led by a woman. Based in Hawaii, there was even potential for crossovers with shows like “Magnum P.I.” and “Hawaii 5-0” — the latter of which had already crossed over with “NCIS: Los Angeles.” Unfortunately, the series didn’t last long enough to do so, even with Sam Hanna (LL Cool J) joining the recurring cast following the end of “NCIS: Los Angeles.”

The original “NCIS” was launched in 2003, born out of the CBS drama “JAG,” and both series remained on the air side by side for a couple of seasons. But when “JAG” came to an end in 2005, it left a major hole in the network schedule — and in the franchise — that needed to be filled. So a few years later, in 2009, “NCIS” got a spin-off of its own, “NCIS: Los Angeles.”

Introduced first in a backdoor pilot during a Season 6 episode of “NCIS” were Special Agents Sam Hannah (LL Cool J), G. Callen (Chris O’Donnell, whose son was given a role on “NCIS: Los Angeles” too), Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah), Mike Renko (Brian Avers), tech operator Eric Beale (Barrett Foa), and psychologist Nate Getz (Peter Cambor). Set amid the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and everywhere in between, “NCIS: Los Angeles” was a powerhouse of a spin-off, lasting an eye-popping 14 seasons. There were plenty of cast changes along the way, with the likes of Nia Long, Miguel Ferrer, and Gerald McRaney all joining the show at various points.

A solid mix of action, mystery, and even a few good laughs, it’s that star-studded cast that makes “NCIS: Los Angeles” as good as it is. And its lengthy run allowed the series to truly spread its wings, including multiple crossovers with the original “NCIS,” not to mention other network hits like “Hawaii 5-0.” Sadly, it was canceled in 2023 — for a very disappointing reason.

One of the biggest reasons why “NCIS” worked so well for so long was the strength of its leading man, Mark Harmon, as Jethro Gibbs. While “NCIS: Los Angeles” had a stellar dynamic duo in LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell, the second spin-off, “NCIS: New Orleans,” went back to the one-man star formula, with “Star Trek: Enterprise” alum Scott Bakula swapping a phaser for a SIG Sauer to play series lead Dwayne Pride.

With a charm only the bayou can deliver, “NCIS: New Orleans” is the show that “Chief Wiggum, PI” wanted to be: A team of investigators in NOLA hunting down criminals with a mix of elite training, street smarts, and Southern derring-do. But their jurisdiction isn’t limited to New Orleans, as their cases take them across the deep South, from Mississippi to Texas and back to NOLA. The team is also more than NCIS agents this time, with Jefferson Parish forensics expert Sebastian Lund (Rob Kerkovich) and coroner Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder) assisting them week after week. The series initially debuted with big screen star Lucas Black and “JAG” star Zoe McLellan (in a new role) backing up Pride, and while both left after Season 2, somehow the show only got better.

Another hit for the franchise, the launch of “New Orleans” meant that there were, astonishingly, three “NCIS” shows on the air for a time. While it was the fourth major TV series led by Scott Bakula, it was his first — “Enterprise” included — to reach the 100-episode milestone. After a strong seven seasons, the show came to a close in 2021.

As good as every “NCIS” series is, each with its own charms and stellar casts, there’s still no beating the original with Mark Harmon as Jethro Gibbs, a man shaped by tragedy. So maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that the best “NCIS” spin-off brings the show back to the story of Gibbs: the prequel series, “NCIS: Origins.” Set in the early 1990s, “Origins” explores Gibbs’ early days working as an investigator for the agency that preceded the existence of the NCIS — the Naval Investigative Service.

Austin Stowell plays a younger Gibbs, but that doesn’t mean Mark Harmon is gone: The “NCIS” star serves as narrator of the series, offering insight into the adventures of his younger self, while the actor also serves as executive producer on the series. Of course, Gibbs isn’t alone in “Origins”: he has his own team of colleagues, including Kyle Schmid as veteran agent Mike Franks, Mariel Molino as former Marine Cecilia Dominguez, and Diany Rodriguez as Special Agent Vera Strickland (who first appeared in a 2013 episode of “NCIS,” played by Roma Maffia).

With a murder-a-week premise, “NCIS: Origins” helps clear up old questions about Gibbs while still offering thrilling new cases. But what could have been mere nostalgia bait that simply gives audiences more of what they want — Jethro Gibbs — “Origins” is a series with its own identity, which helps elevate it from the rest of the NCIS stable. It has its own story to tell about the history of the Naval Investigative unit, and it does so with aplomb.