When is the NCIS crossover event? Date, time, and all details revealed

The NCIS franchise often spikes up interest with unexpected crossovers. The original series has done so before with its spinoffs many times. Currently, the parent series is airing its season 23. This time around, there is a NCIS crossover event with the prequel series, NCIS: Origins. The crossover is scheduled for Tuesday, November 11, 2025, as a tribute to Veteran’s Day.

Meanwhile, the 23rd episode of the original series showed Parker going all out to take revenge on Carla. Despite warning from his team, Parker got onboard the ship where Carla was holding her granddaughter. In a bid to save the girl, Parker fought the kingpin. Later, Sergeant Delgado got embroiled in a kidnapping case that was solved by Parker and his team.

On the other hand, the prequel spinoff, NCIS: Origins season 2 showed Gibbs trying to learn his task through some mistakes while Lala is back after her car crash recovery. Lala was disappointed to find Gibbs moving on with Diane. However, she accepted the role of his mentor and role model. Other arcs involving the daily lives of the Pendleton NIS team included Franks brothers reconciling from their fallout. 

When is the NCIS crossover event arriving?

As mentioned before, the crossover is slated for Veteran’s Day, which is Tuesday, November 11, 2025. The event was announced on September 4, 2025, on the franchise’s Instagram page by actors Wilmer Valderrama, who plays Nick Torres in NCIS, and Austin Stowell, who plays Leroy Gibbs in the prequel spinoff. Both actors teased the crossover covering the storylines of the two series. They hinted at a case that spans over decades joining the two shows. 

The difference in the timeline was shown by small cues. First, the video featuring Stowell had frame lines moving across the scene. Secondly, when Wilmer raised his smartphone to the audience, Stowell looked curious, asking if it was a calculator. This cued the fact that there were no smartphones in the 90s and young Gibbs would not know the device.

The NCIS crossover event is expected to begin on Tuesday with NCIS: Origins at its scheduled airing time of 8 pm. This will be followed by the parent series at 9 pm, its usual airing time. The plot is expected to carryover from the first series to the next. David J North and Gina Lucita Monreal, co-showrunners told in a statement:

“We know how much fans have missed seeing Mark and have wondered what Gibbs is up to today. Well, on Nov. 11, we’re so excited to announce that Mark Harmon will return as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the ‘Origins’ hour of the ‘NCIS’ crossover event.”

While this confirms the onscreen return of Mark Harmon after his absence from onscreen presence since 2021, the actor has been the voice over narrator for the prequel spinoff. Harmon’s fans may be pleased to see him on television again.

What may happen on the NCIS crossover event?

The official description for the crossover says:

“Younger Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and team investigate the small-town death of a naval officer in the 90s – a case that is unexpectedly reopened in the present day.”

While the production and creative teams have been tight-lipped about the plot, the storyline may connect a crime in the 90s to its present-day investigation. Either the case went unsolved for decades or someone was wrongly accused for the crime. Alternatively, another recent crime with a similar modus operandi would need the decades-old case to be reopened.

As fans know, Mark Harmon played Agent Gibbs for 18 seasons on NCIS. His character moved to Alaska to live in solitude away from his high-action work. Meanwhile, NCIS: Origins presents the making of Leroy Jethro Gibbs into the efficient agent he was known as. As such, a younger Gibbs, played by Stowell, is seen in the prequel presenting the crimes and solutions of 90s.

Catch the thrill of the upcoming NCIS crossover event on November 11, 2025, on CBS, or stream it on Paramount Plus the next day.