The actor decided to keep his role in the series for a while to prevent many from losing their jobs…
Season 19 of NCIS marked a before and after in the history of the long-running CBS procedural series: It marked the final farewell to Mark Harmon, the show’s leader, who played the famous Leroy Jethro Gibbs since the first episode in 2003. Almost 20 years For a long time, Gibbs was the central axis of the series until his interpreter felt it was time to say goodbye to the character and move on exclusively as an executive producer.
However, the actor wanted to leave beforehand. According to TVLine (via SensaCine), he was ready to say goodbye to Gibbs last season, and he made this known to both production and the network. However, when he learned that CBS was seriously considering not renewing the series, he decided to move on so that others involved, both the technical and artistic teams, would not lose their jobs because of his decision.
LIMITED APPEARANCE
So Mark Harmon negotiated his return, but only for a limited number of episodes, four episodes that saved NCIS from cancellation (and with it dozens of jobs) and allowed the series to be reconfigured without its main actor. As CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl told TVLine in May 2022, Season 19 is a “transitional year” for the show and therefore removing Mark Harmon from the opening credits is “something they may consider in the future.”
After a 19th season largely without Gibbs, NCIS managed to stay on the air and was renewed for a 20th season without its protagonist in the credits. A 21st season is currently in preparation.
“Everyone knows that the door is open if they want to appear in one or more episodes,” Kahl said of the actor’s possible return. What made him decide to star in the series 20 years ago? “What has always appealed to me is the role I play and keeping it fresh and challenging. As far as plot goes, this character took the path he did. I think it was honest and fair.”
NCIS: Special Investigations is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.