THE NCIS TEAM REELS IN THE AFTERMATH OF KATE'S MURDER AS GIBBS VOWS TO AVENGE HER DEATH AND FINALLY GET ARI, ON THE THIRD SEASON PREMIERE OF "NCIS," TUESDAY, SEPT. 20

Cote de Pablo ("The Street") Joins the Cast as a Series Regular

Lauren Holly ("Chicago Hope") Joins in a Recurring Role

"Kill Ari (Part 1)" -- While the NCIS team deals with Kate's death, Gibbs' determination to finally put an end to Ari's (guest star Rudolf Martin) reign of terror mounts, on the third season premiere of NCIS, Tuesday, Sept. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Dennis Smith directed the episode from a script by the series' executive producer Donald P. Bellisario.

Lauren Holly ("Chicago Hope") joins the cast as the new Director of NCIS who has a romantic history with Gibbs. Cote de Pablo ("The Street") joins as a new NCIS agent that spars with Tony.

Though he has no concrete evidence that the sniper was Ari, Gibbs is haunted by the thought that the bullet that killed Kate was meant for him. As the team works to collect all the evidence they can in an effort to stop Ari, each of them is forced to confront their emotions about Kate's violent death. Meanwhile, the director of NCIS informs Gibbs he will be leaving to take on a new position and introduces him to his new boss, Jenny Shepard (Lauren Holly), a woman with whom Gibbs has a sordid past.

NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it's a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. Leading this troupe of colorful personalities is NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine gunnery sergeant, whose skills as an investigator are unmatched. Gibbs is a man of few words who only needs a look to explain it all. Working under Gibbs is Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, an ex-homicide detective who may come off as the world's oldest frat boy, but whose instincts in the field are unparalleled. Joining them are forensic specialist Abby Sciuto, a talented scientist whose dark wit matches her Goth style and eclectic tastes, and NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate whose brilliance with computers far overshadows his insecurities in the field. Assisting the team is medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, who knows it all because he's seen it all, and he's not afraid to let you know. Internally, the NCIS team will have to band together and recover after suffering the devastating loss of Special Agent Kate Todd at the hands of a terrorist. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.

NCIS is produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television. Donald P. Bellisario is the executive producer. Charles F. Johnson, Mark Horowitz and John Kelley are co-executive producers.

NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs: Mark Harmon
NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo: Michael Weatherly
Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard: David McCallum
Abby Sciuto: Pauley Perrette
NCIS Agent Timothy McGee: Sean Murray
Ziva David: Cote de Pablo
NCIS Special Agent Caitlin Todd: Sasha Alexander
NCIS Director Jenny Shepard: Lauren Holly
Ari Haswari: Rudolf Martin
NCIS Director Tom Morrow: Alan Dale
Gerald Jackson: Pancho Demmings
Virginia State Police Officer: Sasha Maxime
Mossad Agent: A. J. Tannen

RATING: To Be Announced