NCIS: New York makes its debut on the 2026 TV schedule on October 6th, and we now know LL Cool J's Sam Hanna won't be the only familiar face we see. One NCIS character will visit the Big Apple in the premiere, as Brian Dietzen announced that Jimmy Palmer is slated for the pilot. It's a shame this couldn't be a surprise, but I get the new series wanting to give everyone watching the Season 24 premiere of NCIS a reason to stick around for the debut. I know some fans were upset to hear about this spinoff happening, but Dietzen hyping it up on Instagram is sure to change some hearts and minds. Take a look: A post shared by Brian Dietzen (@briankdietzen)A photo posted by He's bullish on NCIS: New York, but it's not like they make actors do these posts to say negative things about the show. The main takeaway here is that Jimmy is going to be a part of the spinoff, which means his patented humor and genius will be available to Sam's team in this opening episode. More On NCIS: New YorkWant A Sneak Peek At LL Cool J’s New NCIS Show? We Have You CoveredThis appearance will likely revisit Sam's brief stint in NCIS Season 23, in which he first showed up to lay the groundwork for his spinoff. Jimmy and Sam teamed up, and the former confessed he planned to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro. Sam was proud of Jimmy for taking on something so big and encouraged him to share it with his coworkers, despite his fear that they might judge him for it. I'm excited for Brian Dietzen, though a bit bummed for Diona Reasonover. The actress who plays Kasie on NCIS has been quite vocal about wanting to join the fun on NCIS: New York, but it sounds as though she won't be in the pilot. Of course, there's always an opportunity for her to pop up in a future episode, so we'll have to wait and see. This is a big year for NCIS in general, as Michael Weatherly recently pointed out how many past alumni are headed back to the franchise. He's going to be in the Season 24 premiere of NCIS; we already know Sam Hanna is back in the New York spinoff, and Mark Harmon will return in Origins. Basically, if you're a fan of the franchise, you're going to want to make sure your Tuesday nights are wide open for the foreseeable future. As mentioned, the fun all kicks off on CBS on October 6th, with NCIS at 8 pm ET, NCIS: New York at 9 pm ET, and NCIS: Origins at 10 pm ET. It's a late night for some, but fortunately, we live in a world in which DVR is commonplace!