{"id":78002,"date":"2024-02-24T00:56:08","date_gmt":"2024-02-24T00:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/24\/why-mark-harmon-wasnt-in-ncis-david-mccallum-tribute-episode\/"},"modified":"2024-02-24T00:56:08","modified_gmt":"2024-02-24T00:56:08","slug":"why-mark-harmon-wasnt-in-ncis-david-mccallum-tribute-episode","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/24\/why-mark-harmon-wasnt-in-ncis-david-mccallum-tribute-episode\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Mark Harmon Wasn\u2019t in NCIS\u2019 David McCallum Tribute Episode"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n Mark Harmon<\/span> Cliff Lipson\/CBS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When NCIS<\/em><\/a> said goodbye to Dr. Donald \u201cDucky\u201d Mallard \u2014 and paid homage to the late actor David McCallum<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 fans were quick to notice Mark Harmon<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s Leroy Jethro Gibbs was nowhere to be found.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we bring him back, we\u2019re not going to bring him back for two minutes,\u201d coshowrunner Steven D. Binder<\/strong> told TVLine<\/em><\/a> of Harmon\u2019s absence in the Monday, February 19, episode.<\/p>\n

Binder teased that Harmon\u2019s comeback has \u201cgot to be something special,\u201d noting that the \u201cdoor is always open\u201d for the actor to resume his duties as Gibbs<\/a>. (Harmon, 72, exited the series in 2022 after 19 seasons but remains an executive producer<\/a> on the show.)<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>How Many \u2018NCIS\u2019 Shows Are There? A Complete Guide<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tThe NCIS family just keeps growing \u2014 with a grand total of seven shows within the franchise as of 2024. While many fans might think the naval intelligence-based franchise began with NCIS, that\u2019s not the case. The flagship NCIS show was actually JAG, which debuted on NBC in 1995. The series followed military lawyers in [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

During the tribute episode, Gibbs wasn\u2019t there in person to mourn the loss of Ducky, but he was there in spirit. A package from Alaska, where Gibbs was last seen during season 19, was sent to Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray<\/strong>), featuring a Polaroid of Gibbs, McGee and Ducky from seasons past.<\/p>\n

There were also flashback clips of Gibbs working alongside medical examiner Ducky during their time at NCIS<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"Why<\/div>

\n David McCallum<\/span> Sonja Flemming\/CBS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Ducky didn\u2019t die on the show until Monday\u2019s program, McCallum \u2014 who portrayed the quirky ME beginning with NCIS\u2019<\/em> 2003 premiere \u2014 passed away in September 2023 at the age of 90. CBS promised to honor the late star during season 21, which was pushed back after the WGA and the SAG-AFTRA strikes over the summer and fall.<\/p>\n

Although Harmon didn\u2019t reprise his role for the sendoff episode, fellow NCIS<\/em> icon Michael Weatherly<\/strong><\/a> did make a brief cameo in the final moments. Weatherly, 55, exited the series\u00a0in 2016 after 13 seasons as Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Everything to Know About \u2018NCIS: Origins\u2019: Premise, Cast and More<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tMichael Desmond\/CBS The NCIS universe is getting bigger in 2024 thanks to the upcoming prequel series, NCIS: Origins. CBS announced on Friday, January 7, that the show about Leroy Jethro Gibbs\u2019 (previously played by Mark Harmon) origin story received a straight to series order for the 2024-2025 broadcast season. \u201cWe are elated and honored to [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cAre we here to celebrate a great man, or what?\u201d DiNozzo said on the show as she joined current medical examiner Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen<\/strong><\/a>) in the coroner\u2019s office before the funeral. \u201cI figured Duckman would want a little DiNozzo magic at his party.\u201d<\/p>\n

DiNozzo then helped Jimmy fix his bowtie, a nod to Ducky\u2019s iconic clothing staple, and did an English accent while imparting wisdom to Ducky\u2019s prot\u00e9g\u00e9. He reminded Jimmy that it\u2019s not just the \u201cstories we leave behind\u201d that people remember, but the people\u2019s \u201clives we touched.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Michael Weatherly<\/span> Sonja Flemming\/CBS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The episode ended with an In Memoriam card that read: \u201cIn Memory of Our Dear Friend and Colleague David McCallum \u2014 We Will Miss You.\u201d<\/p>\n

Binder told TVLine<\/em> that the NCIS<\/em> team \u201cgave a lot of thought to who Ducky is connected to most, which on one level would be Gibbs<\/a>.\u201d However, he noted that Jimmy, who is still on the series, was the closest to Ducky and it would be impossible to bring \u201ceverybody\u201d who has left the drama back.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Actors Who Left Hit TV Shows<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tIt\u2019s never easy to say goodbye, even if it\u2019s a television goodbye. While no TV show can last forever \u2013 well, Law & Order: SVU is in the running \u2013 the cast doesn\u2019t always stay as long. Many actors choose to leave after their contracts end. Some give the networks a lengthy heads-up, while others [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIt was [also about] who Jimmy would connect with, and also bring some levity. \u2026 And that was Michael Weatherly,\u201d Binder explained. \u201cIt\u2019s really a no-brainer.\u201d<\/p>\n

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