LL COOL J Is Officially Returning to ‘NCIS’ With Brand-New Spin-Off Series

CBS clearly isn’t done building out the NCIS universe just yet. The franchise has been a network staple for years, but even by its standards, this latest move feels like a pretty fun surprise. LL COOL J has already drifted in and out of the wider franchise since NCIS: Los Angeles wrapped, enough to keep fans wondering whether Sam Hanna still had a bigger future in this world. Now we know he does. CBS has officially ordered NCIS: New York, with LL COOL J returning as Sam as the franchise heads to a brand-new field office this fall.

In the new series, Sam returns to his hometown of New York City, where he’ll partner with a roguish agent played by Scott Caan and help lead a new team taking on high-stakes missions tied to one of the most vital cities and ports in the world. The series will air Tuesdays at 9 p.m., right between NCIS at 8 p.m. and NCIS: Origins at 10 p.m., before NCIS: Sydney takes over that later slot in midseason.

The pilot comes from The Pitt creator R. Scott Gemmill, who also served as showrunner on NCIS: Los Angeles for seven seasons after writing across the show’s full 14-season run. Byron Balasco, creator of Kingdom, will serve as showrunner on the new series, giving NCIS: New York a mix of longtime franchise experience and a fresh voice.

This new move also makes those comments from last year feel a lot more interesting in hindsight. After LL COOL J’s guest return to the flagship NCIS, executive producer Steven D. Binder told TV Insider:

“I, as a showrunner, say LL always has a place at NCIS. They all do. They’re all great. They’re pros. We love having them. It’s just people have very busy schedules, especially he does. So, making it work is a logistical challenge and probably the bottleneck more than anything to why you may or may not see more. Not because there’s not a desire and a will, just because scheduling is very difficult.”

Around the same time, Diona Reasonover, who plays Kasie Hines, told Collider, “It’s always so much fun when Sam comes and, kind of like, disrupts the normal flow of the team. I think that his kind of involvement in the case…I’m not sure if we could have the case without him.”

Looking back now, those comments feel less like simple support for a guest comeback and more like an early sign that Sam Hanna was never really done with the franchise.

NCIS airs on CBS and streams on Paramount+.