Mother’s Day isn't the only thing that'll be celebrated this Sunday, as fans of CBS’ long-running procedural NCIS: Los Angeles are looking forward to the show airing its 300th episode. The beloved drama is the latest series on the network to hit a major milestone, following Blue Bloods’ 250th episode as well as Young Sheldon and S.W.A.T.’s respective 100th installments. Ahead of the landmark episode's airing, lead stars Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J (who recently dropped a new show on the channel) opened up about the series and how the loyal legion of fans are part of its success.
Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J, who play G. Callen and Sam Hanna, respectively, discussed their show's big milestone with ET. After 300 episodes, O’Donnell’s appreciation for the fans never wavers, as he praised them for sticking with the series for so long:
They're the reason why we're on the air as long as we've been on the air and I love it. We're coming up on 300 episodes on the show and you lose track of what's going on but the fans, they know exactly what's going on and they correct us sometimes on things, so it's nice to be able to celebrate a bit.
It’s always incredible when a show reaches such a milestone, especially when you consider that some TV series can have very short shelf lives. Of course, any program's success is ultimately measured by how many people tune in. It's great that Chris O’Donnell is making sure that the loyal fans know that they're a massive reason why NCIS: LA is still on the air.
Meanwhile, LL Cool J is just grateful for the fact that he's still able to get up every day and work a pretty sweet gig. When you do the same job for as long as he has, it's easy to get stagnant. But even after 13 seasons, the entertainer still loves it:
It's excellent, it feels great, grateful. We havin' a lot of fun. When we first started, I figured it'd be a couple years. I had no idea we'd be going into a 14th season, so it feels good.
For a while, it seemed like LA would be the latest NCIS series to get the ax but, luckily, the show did end up getting renewed along with the flagship series and Hawai’i. Even through COVID delays, the show has managed to maintain its fanbase, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be going away any time soon. With Season 14 set to happen, loyal viewers will surely stick around to see what the Los Angeles team gets up, too.
Considering the amount of momentum NCIS: Los Angeles still has after being on the air for a decade, one has to wonder just how much longer the show could run. There are still plenty of stories to tell, so it could run for at least another few reasons, (should ratings remain solid, of course). But for now, let's just soak in the love that so Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J are sending and send some their way in return.
Don’t miss the 300th episode of NCIS: Los Angeles when it airs tonight, Sunday, May 8th, at 9 p.m. EST on CBS! Also, check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule for info on other new and returning shows.
