'NCIS' to return for 17th season on CBS

April 11 (UPI) -- CBS said Thursday it has ordered a 17th season of its procedural NCIS and plans to air it in 2019-20.

"NCIS has been a global juggernaut for almost two decades," Kelly Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment, said in a statement.

"Its viewers are clearly the most loyal of any drama on television. They are passionate about the characters, the plot lines, and the storytelling. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the gifted production team, and the cast, led by the extraordinary Mark Harmon. We are delighted that the show will remain a lynchpin of the CBS schedule this coming season."

Set in Washington, D.C., the show follows members of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The cast includes Harmon, Emily Wickersham, Wilmer Valderrama, Maria Bello, Brian Dietzen, Diona Reasonover, Rocky Carroll and David McCallum.