#NCIS season 18: Is a premiere date delay all but inevitable?

We know that NCIS season 18 is currently still sitting on CBS’ fall schedule, and there is a chance that the show could still be on this fall. Yet, hope is all but gone at this point that the series will be ready for its typical late September start.

There was a time when it felt like many TV productions could have been underway in Los Angeles during the month of August. Some, like SWAT, still are hoping to be. Yet, the spike in cases over the past month amidst the health crisis have complicated things. According to Deadline, we are a point now where many networks may have to consider significant delays to the start of their schedules.

For more news on NCIS in video form, check out our thoughts on Maria Bello’s reported exit below! Once you do that, subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube for more news and also view our full series playlist. We’ll have other news coming soon…

The situation with NCIS, as we see it, is this: If filming had started right about now, there was a chance that the show could have been ready for late September/early October for at least a couple of episodes. Yet, we haven’t even heard of a potential start date or a window for the Mark Harmon series yet. That indicates to us that pending some last-minute surprise, we’re probably at least several weeks out. There are a lot of different boxes that have to be checked, including creating a proper plan for production, guild negotiations, and ensuring the right testing protocols are in place. This isn’t just for NCIS, but instead for all shows out there. NCIS in particular features both actors and behind-the-scenes talent in vulnerable age ranges when it comes to the virus, and that is something else to be considered.

Ultimately, we’re having to preach the same thing now that we did a month ago: Patience. While some shows are starting back up, others are still taking their time. In particular, ones produced by CBS TV Studios (which also includes the other NCIS shows plus Blue Bloods and Bull) are taking a more cautious approach. We’ll have more as it starts to trickle in.

Related News – The case to not kill off Jack Sloane, if she leaves the show

Do you think we’ll still see new NCIS episodes this year?

Be sure to share right now in the attached comments! Meanwhile, remember to stick around if you do want some other news pertaining to the series. (Photo: CBS.)

This article was written by Jessica Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.