CBS is preparing to launch NCIS: New York, a new spinoff premiering on 6 October, with LL Cool J reprising his role as Special Agent Sam Hanna. In a Deadline interview, LL Cool J and showrunner Byron Balasco discussed the series' origins, its tone, and how Sam's storyline connects to the wider NCIS Universe, underlining the franchise's continued expansion after the character's earlier appearance in a crossover set in Dubai.

The pilot sees Sam Hanna return to his native New York after years of solo, high-stakes missions abroad, prompted by the death of his friend Jack Halloway. He teams up with agent Nick Schaeffer, played by Scott Caan, alongside colleagues Wyatt Sellers, Addy Ross and Sean Sullivan, under the oversight of Assistant Special Agent-In-Charge Robyn Wells. The show is developed by R. Scott Gemmill, previously showrunner of NCIS: Los Angeles, marking his return to the franchise, with both LL Cool J and Balasco emphasising New York itself as a central character and hinting at strong on-screen chemistry between the two leads.