There’s no question that NCIS is one of the best and most enduring police procedurals on television. You know it’s always on TV, whether a new season is returning or you come across a rerun. The formula works, and the military angle sets it apart from others. Having aired for 23 years and as many seasons (and counting), NCIS ranks among the longest-running scripted live-action American primetime series. It’s also CBS’s longest series ever, breaking a record that the Western series Gunsmokeheld for decades.

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