ION Grabs NCIS

ION Television will debut NCIS Sept. 8 as the military-themed legal drama joins the network’s primetime lineup for the fall, airing Mondays and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. (EST).

ION ironed out a deal with NCIS producer CBS Television Distribution for the syndication rights to seasons 1-4 of the drama, a spinoff of JAG. NCIS follows a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Major Case Response Team. It debuted on CBS in 2003 and stars Mark Harmon.

NCIS is a high-caliber, highly rated series that will broaden ION Television’s reach to target audiences and advertisers,” ION chairman and CEO Brandon Burgess said. “Stay tuned for more examples of this kind of programming from the network as we continue to migrate to greater mass appeal in 2008 and 2009.”

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.