So, you sat down on your couch, remote in hand, ready for your Tuesday night ritual of back-to-back FBI action, only to find... a different team of agents on your screen. You aren't losing your mind. CBS just pulled off the biggest scheduling heist in recent TV history.
Honestly, the "Eye Network" has been incredibly bold this season. They’ve essentially swapped their two biggest powerhouses, creating a "Super Tuesday" that’s all-in on NCIS, while the FBI crew has been evicted to a brand-new home. It’s a lot to keep track of if you just want to see some bad guys get caught.
Let's break down exactly where your favorite shows went.
The Massive NCIS Takeover: Tuesdays Are Now "Super Tuesdays"
For the first time ever, CBS has committed to a full three-hour block of the same franchise. If you like Gibbs, Vance, and the crew, Tuesday is your holy grail. But if you were looking for the FBI agents, they’ve officially vacated the premises.
The NCIS and FBI new time slots essentially mean that Tuesdays are now a strictly Naval Criminal Investigative Service zone.
Here is how the Tuesday lineup looks right now:
📖 Related: Despicable Me 2 Edith: Why the Middle Child is Secretly the Best Part of the Movie
- 8:00 PM ET: NCIS (The Flagship) – Season 23 is back in its ancestral home. It’s the anchor for the whole night.
- 9:00 PM ET: NCIS: Origins – This is the prequel everyone's talking about. It follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs in 1991. If you've missed the grit of the early seasons, this is where you'll find it.
- 10:00 PM ET: NCIS: Sydney – The Aussies have officially taken over the late-night slot. It’s been a wild ride for this spinoff, especially after some production delays in late 2025, but it’s firmly planted here for Season 3.
One thing to watch out for: if you’re looking for new episodes right this second, you might hit a wall. Because of the 2026 State of the Union Address on February 24, the network actually pushed the mid-season premieres of all three shows back by a week. They are now slated to return on March 3, 2026.
Don't blame the writers. Blame the politics.
Where Did the FBI Go?
This is the part that’s tripping everyone up. For years, Tuesday was "FBI Night." Not anymore.
CBS decided to move the flagship FBI (Season 8) to Monday nights. It’s a huge move. They’re trying to build a new "Dick Wolf Monday" to compete with the heavy hitters on other networks.
The Monday situation is a bit of a mixed bag. You’ve got The Neighborhood at 8:00 PM and the new comedy DMV at 8:30 PM. Then, at 9:00 PM ET, the original FBI kicks off.
👉 See also: Death Wish II: Why This Sleazy Sequel Still Triggers People Today
But wait. There’s a catch.
If you’re a fan of FBI: International or FBI: Most Wanted, I have some tough news. Those two spinoffs were actually cancelled following the 2024-2025 season. I know, it stings. To fill that void, CBS launched a brand-new Dick Wolf drama called CIA, starring Tom Ellis (yes, Lucifer himself). That show now holds the 10:00 PM ET slot on Mondays, right after the original FBI.
Basically, if you want your Dick Wolf fix, you have to move your viewing party to Monday.
Why the Shakeup Actually Matters
You might be wondering why CBS would mess with a winning formula. It comes down to "audience flow."
Network executives like Amy Reisenbach have been pretty vocal about "thematically compatible" nights. They realized that fans who watch one NCIS show usually watch them all. By stacking them, they keep you on the channel for three hours straight. It’s a play for those "Live + Same Day" ratings that advertisers still obsess over.
✨ Don't miss: Dark Reign Fantastic Four: Why This Weirdly Political Comic Still Holds Up
Also, it’s worth noting the NCIS and FBI new time slots were heavily influenced by the sunsetting of Blue Bloods. With that massive hole on Friday nights, CBS moved things around like a giant game of Tetris. They even put Boston Blue (starring Donnie Wahlberg) into the old Blue Bloods 10:00 PM Friday slot to keep that audience happy.
What You Need to Do Now
If you haven't updated your DVR yet, do it. Seriously. If you have it set to "Record Tuesdays at 9," you're going to end up with a prequel about young Gibbs instead of the FBI team you were expecting.
Keep an eye on the calendar for March 3, 2026. That’s when the "Super Tuesday" block actually gets back into the swing of things after the February delays.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your Monday recordings: Ensure FBI is set for 9:00 PM ET on Mondays.
- Sample CIA: If you’re mourning the loss of the FBI spinoffs, give the 10:00 PM Monday slot a shot; it’s the spiritual successor in that Dick Wolf block.
- Clear your Tuesday nights for March: Since the State of the Union bumped the schedule, the first week of March is going to be a massive three-hour premiere event for the NCIS franchise.