The list of shows that have crossed the 1,000-episode milestone is largely populated by talk shows, soap operas, game shows, and reality programs. (And, of course, Sesame Street.) Especially in recent years, the list doesn’t include many shows like NCIS.
Nonetheless, the franchise is hitting its 1,000th episode on April 15, and Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive look at the milestone night.
The threshold will be crossed with the 464th episode of NCIS, the franchise’s flagship show. The achievement counts episodes across all NCIS shows, including the original series, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawai’i, and the new NCIS: Sydney. All told, it’s roughly 42,722 minutes of water-adjacent investigations across the United States and, as of November, Australia as well.
The April 15 episode of NCIS, currently in its 21st season, is not-so-coyly titled “A Thousand Yards,” and CBS says the episode will be rife with Easter eggs for long-time fans, including appearances from NCIS: Los Angeles’ Daniela Ruah and NCIS: Hawai’i’s Vanessa Lachey. The investigators will face a shadowy enemy from their past as Vance (Rocky Carroll) attempts to mend a fractured relationship with his estranged son.
The show will also drop celebratory Easter eggs on social media throughout the day.
The celebration goes beyond the April 15 broadcasts. It will include an April 8 special, NCISverse: The First 1,000, on Entertainment Tonight that will feature a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the 1,000th episode and stars sharing their favorite NCIS moments.
Franchise stars will also pop up on other shows throughout the week. The many appearances will include Wilmer Valderrama on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on April 10, Brian Dietzen and Diona Reasonover on The Price Is Right, and April 15 appearances on The Talk from Gary Cole, Sean Murray, Carroll, and Lachey.
NCIS may seem inescapable on CBS for the next two weeks as its stars pop up all over the channel. Still, this isn’t likely to be the last milestone for the sprawling franchise.
CBS has already announced two new shows entering the NCISverse next season. NCIS: Origins and another show for Paramount+ that has yet to be named, but stars Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly, reuniting on NCIS for the first time in 10 years as their characters Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo.