The series has certainly had its successes. “NCIS: Los Angeles” began as a spinoff of another show with incredible longevity, “NCIS,” but rather than centering the action in Washington D.C. like its predecessor, it followed the undercover exploits of agents working at LA’s Office of Special Projects. At its highest point in 2012, the season four premiere brought in close to 17 million viewers according to TV By the Numbers. The latest (and now final) season, which premiered in October, moved to the channel’s Sunday night slot and brought in just 4.2 million viewers for its season premiere (per TVLine).
The audience momentum for “NCIS: Los Angeles” may have slowed down after an impressive fourteen years on the air, but the show still remained a major part of the CBS lineup, even participating in a good, old-fashioned crossover event with “NCIS” and “NCIS: Hawai’i” this past week. “We look forward to delivering an end to the series that is both satisfying and does justice to these beloved characters,” Gemmill said in his statement, so it sounds like the show has big series finale plans, too.
LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell have headlined the series from its inception, with Daniela Ruah and Eric Christian Olsen also starring. LL Cool J responded to the news of the show’s end and the news of its successful crossover ratings on Twitter, posting, “This NCIS Crossover was a huge success! After 14 seasons, it’s the perfect time to end @NCISLA on top!” The actor and musician also says he has future plans with CBS, which he shouts out as a strategic partner with his hip-hop media company Rock the Bells.
“NCIS: Los Angeles” airs new episodes Sunday nights at 10/9c on CBS. The show is expected to wrap up this spring.