It goes without saying that NCIS is one of the most popular TV shows in the US. The CBS series has been a fixture of broadcast for decades and, with a renewal for a 24th season coming just last month, it's clear that the network has no plans of changing that anytime soon.
NCIS also remains a popular franchise worldwide too, with fans enjoying it in the UK. The show has shifted around UK broadcasters over the years, formerly airing on FXUK and Fox before officially landing on Disney Plus - which hosts all previous seasons and streams new episodes too.
Unfortunately, for those waiting to see new episodes from the current season - season 23 - will still have a wait on their hands.
NCIS season 23 UK release will be later than expected
It's safe to say that NCIS fans in the UK are looking forward to new episodes from their favorite TV show, but season 23 won't be arriving anytime soon, it seems. Although the season premiered on CBS in the US back in October, fans were hoping it would premiere in the UK at the beginning of the year. As we mentioned, the show streams on Disney Plus in the UK and, normally, it would arrive in January, but clearly, that hasn't happened.
With January having come and gone, the most likely month for season 23's release now is March. Ever since the show officially began streaming new episodes on Disney Plus, new seasons have premiered in either January or March / April time. That's not to rule February out entirely, but with no new announcements from the streamer about its return (and the list of upcoming titles already known for this month), it's not looking likely.
Something else that might influence exactly when NCIS season 23 premieres in the UK is the fact that it is now off the air for a bit longer in the US due to the Winter Olympics, which is currently airing on NBC. Although it has been on its midseason hiatus since December, the show's US return date has been pushed back to March 3 due to the sporting event (as other networks would prefer for their shows not to clash with that). It's unclear if the UK broadcaster has to be a certain amount of episodes behind the US broadcast; as many do, it's likely that the show won't premiere on Disney Plus UK until March at the earliest.
UK audiences tend to prefer their shows to run uninterrupted, so streamers and broadcasters always like for US exports to have accrued enough episodes so that the services don't have to account for the multiple breaks that US networks take.
Whatever the reason for the delay, it is understandable that UK audiences are longing for NCIS season 23 to premiere on Disney Plus UK in the near-future. As it stands, nine episodes have already aired in the US, so that automatically means that British and Irish audiences will be nine episodes behind. If its Stateside return happens before Disney Plus announces its return date, then that gap will unfortunately widen.
Here's hoping that it isn't long until we see Sean Murray's Timothy McGee, Katrina Law's Jessica Knight, and Gary Cole's Alden Parker on our screens again, along with the rest of our favorite Special Agents.