23 Years Later, NCIS Needs To Revisit The Series It Originated From

NCIS has spent over two decades watching as the MCRT solves high-stakes cases, but prior to the show’s debut, the series it originated from was one of CBS’ most popular, and it deserves to be revisited after nearly 25 years. Although there are likely some current NCIS viewers who weren’t aware that the long-running series, which has spun off into several other shows over the years, stemmed from another, NCIS being a spinoff isn’t a secret. CBS’ hit came from a popular decade-long series, JAG. Following military lawyers through cases, JAG was more of a legal drama than a procedural.

While NCIS and JAG were both military-based, the original CBS series followed David James Elliott as Harmon Rabb, Jr. and Catherine Bell as Sarah “Mac” MacKenzie as they moved through the complicated world of judge advocates, or JAGs. Operating as lawyers in uniform for the US Navy, the judge advocates on JAG were able to prosecute and defend specific criminal cases and advise on military law, which brought them into some intense investigations throughout the course of the series. While JAG has a somewhat complicated premise, the series was able to weave fun character dynamics through its in-depth, sweeping stories.

Throughout the run of JAG, which aired over 200 episodes between 1995 and 2005, viewers got the chance to know an entirely different side of the legal system and military. By the show’s end, which overlapped with the beginning of NCIS, it had built a massive following, one that would surely love to see an updated version of the series.

NCIS Originally Spun Off From CBS’ Hit, JAG

David James Elliott's Harm and Catherine Bell's Mac looking emotional and laying next to each other in JAG — David James Elliott’s Harm and Catherine Bell’s Mac looking emotional and laying next to each other in JAG

Although JAG spent a decade on the air, the final seasons are where NCIS comes into play. Two episodes toward the end of JAG season 8 saw characters from NCIS come into play, with Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) appearing on the series for an extended backdoor pilot. With the MCRT investigating a murder that JAG’s main character, Rabb, was being framed for, the characters got the chance to shine without the baggage of having to cross over from their own show just yet. Simply introducing Gibbs and DiNozzo was a great jumping off point.

While JAG and NCIS share the same universe, the premises of the shows couldn’t be more different. Though JAG focuses on the military in a way that, especially for the time, sometimes feels intense, the shows both make it clear that their Navy affiliation is a huge part of the story. Otherwise, however, NCIS focuses more on major crimes and intense procedural investigation, while JAG brings in elements of investigation to help move their cases forward. Delving deeper into the legal side, JAG is a vastly different series, one that brings its own personal and professional story complications to light.

A JAG Reboot Would Allow The NCIS Universe To Branch Out Further

DiNozzo and Gibbs in NCIS' JAG Backdoor — DiNozzo and Gibbs in NCIS’ JAG Backdoor

Although JAG originally ended in 2005, the series making a comeback in 2026 could be an interesting way to expand the NCIS franchise without another NCIS series. While there are NCIS spinoffs as far as the eye can see, rebooting a classic series that feels somewhat outside of the same lane could be a great way to extend the show’s universe even further. Rather than focusing on major crimes and the appropriate response, rebooting JAG would allow the NCIS characters to mingle with a different set of military personnel without much potential for the characters to complicate each other’s stories.

While the original JAG characters may not be an option after so many years, it seems possible that a JAG reboot could find itself pulling from the 1995 series in a fun way that sees the original honored, but a new group of JAGs coming into the picture. Despite the NCIS universe feeling like it has a lot to support as the 2026-2027 season begins, bringing a different series into the fold and incorporating something that’s less of a direct copy and paste from the original NCIS could be a great way to reinvigorate the franchise moving forward.