CBS' longest-running current drama series — and its most-watched — will return in 2019-20.

The network has renewed NCIS for a 17th season. The pickup hinged in part on star and executive producer Mark Harmon signing a new deal. With that in place, the Tuesday-night mainstay got the green light.

"NCIS has been a global juggernaut for almost two decades," CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl said Thursday in a statement. "Its viewers are clearly the most loyal of any drama on television. They are passionate about the characters, the plotlines 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 linchpin of the CBS schedule this coming season."

So far this season, NCIS is averaging about 16 million viewers per episode (including a week of delayed viewing), second only to The Big Bang Theory among all non-sports programs on the broadcast networks. Its 2.0 rating among adults 18-49 ranks in the top 10 for broadcast dramas.

The network says NCIS is also among its top performers on digital platforms, and the CBS TV Studios production remains a powerhouse in off-network syndication and internationally, where it is licensed in more than 200 countries and territories.

Frank Cardea, Steven D. Binder, Chas. Floyd Johnson, Mark Horowitz, Harmon, Scott Williams and creator Donald P. Bellisario are the executive producers.

NCIS joins the dramas Criminal Minds (which is entering its final season), FBI, God Friended Me and Magnum P.I. and the comedies Mom, The Neighborhood and Young Sheldon in securing a spot on CBS' 2019-20 schedule.