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CBS‘ decision to keep the specifics of NCIS star Mark Harmon‘s alleged “limited” Season 19 commitment under wraps is beginning to make sense.
Multiple sources confirm to TVLine exclusively that Harmon is slated to appear in a relatively small number of episodes next season. One insider close to the CBS procedural reveals of Harmon’s Season 19 episode count: “It’s going to be in the low single digits.” Another source says the actor will make only “a few” appearances throughout the season.
A CBS rep declined to comment for this story.
To fill the Harmon-sized hole, CBS is in talks with TV vet Gary Cole to join the cast in a major Season 19 role. (Our sister pub Variety first reported Cole’s possible casting.)
NCIS teed up Harmon’s drastically reduced Season 19 workload by “killing” off Gibbs in the Season 18 finale. (In the episode’s final moments, Gibbs was taking his latest handcrafted boat out for a spin when it suddenly was blown to smithereens. His “lifeless” body, however, could be seen discreetly and purposely swimming away right before the screen cut to black.)
Weeks prior to his (staged?) “death,” Gibbs had been suspended indefinitely from his role at NCIS, after assaulting an abuser of dogs. He eventually helped a local reporter (played by Gibbs’ real-life wife, Pam Dawber) investigate a possible serial killer.
“We take it year by year with Mark,” CBS entertainment chief Kelly Kahl told Deadline last month. “We’d love to have him as long as he’d like to be here…. [W]e’re happy to work around his schedule.”
News of Harmon’s status change comes as NCIS prepares to exit its longtime Tuesday-at-8 pm time slot. As we previously reported, the venerable series will relocate to Mondays-at-9 pm this fall.
Honestly, I haven’t watched any NCIS in a while, but this seems a perfect opportunity to keep Scott Bakula employed. Pride leaves his beloved New Orleans to help out after his friend is presumed dead.
Oh wow, now as much as I adore Gary Cole, your idea is so much better! I’d love to see that!
I agree
I agree
Come on Gibbs, just one more year like the
Ole times!
Agree with Ryan!
Roger that!
This would be perfect….Scott Bakula coming in to take over for Gibbs, he has worked with Tim & Nick in the past. But it makes too much sense and CBS executives can’t see it for their egos.
of course they dont they have to ruin all the good shows and replace it with crap
Wise storyline. I also like JAG characters mixed in, too. Maybe a social appearance fro from Seal Veteran Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck).
A different Magnum PI exists in NCIS continuity thanks to crossovers so that’s not going to work. :/
Perhaps, but the fact is still true that Tom Selleck can still play the character of a Retired Seal Tom Selleck. Does not have to be a regular, just appropriate story lines. Only select viewers will actually know, and would also be a great way to promote NCIS Hawaii.
On Blue Bloods both Frank and Danny Reagan have the marine’s on their resumes.
I tried watching NCIS HAWAII but cannot get myself to finish it. It is so bad, the acting is so bad. I haven’t watched it since after the debut.
Why not have Scott Bacula come take Gibbs place?!!! What are the writers thinking??
nooooooooooooooo!
I love Gary Cole…. Perfect to fill in for Mark Harmon! Never liked NCIS New Orleans… won’t miss it
:(
Gary Cole is dull…can’t act worth a damn!
Get Bakula back!!
Agreed!
yes love him
OH NO
I JUST WISH THE OD HAPPIER GIBBS WOULD RETURN HE HAS BEEN KINDA OLD AND GRUMPY
Ryan, I just mentioned Scott for that role. Along with Gary Sinise, David James Elliot.
I think those last 2 suggestions are on point. Either would be great.
Though it won’t be NCIS without Mark Harmon, Gary Sinise would be perfect to replace him.
https://tvline.com/2021/06/22/ncis-gary-cole-cast-season-19-katrina-law/
This is the best idea I’ve heard. Dwayne Pride would be the perfect replacement for Jethro Gibbs.
I love this idea! Hey, CBS!!!! THIS RIGHT HERE!
I’d love that!
This 100%!
Yes, that does seem a good new opportunity to use Scott Bakula. Great idea. Hope somebody is listening to your thought at CBS.
I can’t stand Gary Cole please please don’t bring him to the team. Scott Bakula “Pride” would be so much of a better fit!!
Stupid yo teplace
I wouldn’t mind seeing that either, not going to be the same on Mondays and without “Gibbs” I have always enjoyed him in this role.
Would be nice, but keep hearing about Bakula being pulled into a reboot of Quantum Leap too. Also with Pride’s attachments to NOLA, I’d image him retiring to run his bar of it still exists…
Please NO ~
Ncis is mark harmon i think its time to call it a wrap and end the series bring back tony and ziva and give it a proper ending instead of dragging it. without gibbs this show will lose a lot of viewees
The Real-life actors who played (notice-PAST tense) have gone on with their lives separate from the fictional roles no matter how much some Tony/Ziva fans seem to be in denial. Michael Weatherly is and will be playing lead in his own show as Jason Bull and CBS is still having the problem of scandal associating with MW’s actions regarding the Dushku Settlement and now with the firing of Caron and dismissal of Rodriguez because of an investigation. Cote de Pablo gave many interviews before-during-and after her limited 5-episode arc that her interest was to wrap up Ziva’a story arc and give answers for Ziva’s fate nd was happy with her “beautiful walk away” to have Ziva finally leave NCIS and Mossad behind and have a “normal” life with her daughter.
No reason they couldn’t manage to bring them back for a guest stint in the series finale.
And as to whether NCIS will continue on past Season 19 remains to be seen—but anyone who expects them to re-join the cast IMHO is just setting themselves up for disappointment.
I don’t expect them to rejoin the cast full time… just saying getting them back for the finale is a realistic possibility.
But must we? I spent far too many years having to put up with those two characters. Not wanting a return by either.
Totally agree, I’m sure they could work something out to have TIVA back for the Finale
Michael Weatherly is nothing but a jerk. I do not miss him one bit. I do miss Ziva and if she came back I may start watching again even without Gibbs. But without Gibbs back on the team, I am done with NCIS. Not a hard decision at all for me.
Agreed! To many original people are gone! And without Gibbs the show won’t be on for long! I’m done when Gibbs leaves! :(
I hope you mean Michael Weatherly’s character is a jerk. He was actually a comic relief for this series which was really really gruesome.
I hope you mean Michael Weatherly’s character is a jerk. Tony was a comic relief for this series which was very very graphic. Miss him and Cote, they were a great team.
I am with you no gibbs no NCIS to many changes . For gibbs to go . Show will never be the same..
Amen, it really hasn’t been the same when Weatherly, Ziva and Abby’s roles were discontinued. It’s sad but I guess it’s true, all good things must end.
Great wrap to wrap up a great show.
Yes..I will be gone. He is v the show!!!!
I agree
They are dumb to move off of Tuesday when Gibbs first goes absent.
Fans who are upset about that won’t bother to give up Monday Night Football.
Live sports is the only reason to watch anything live. You can watch NCIS, or any CBS show, anytime you like. Paramount+ or cable DVR for the seniors.
Yeah, but it’s the live neilsen ratings that keep a show alive, not how many people watch it on tivo or hulu or on demand later. Putting anything up against monday night football is a great way to kill a show.
I agree 100%. There’s just too many “shocks” here. We’ve had to get used to so many things changing on this show that it’s just Unreal! But Gibbs was always the one constant. Maybe CBS figures if they change the time and move it to a different night, slowly but surely, people will just quit watching. Guess that’s the way they could “end” the show – without Them actually ending it on their own. That would kinda just take care of the situation altogether. I think that’s what they’re trying to do – just like they did with NCIS NEW ORLEANS.
I’d say that Gary Cole is comparable to Mark Harmon. If CBS can get Gary Cole, then this could be good. If not, then the network should just let the show go. I know Mark wants to save jobs, but all shows have a life span.
Why would anyone be shocked by this?
It was obvious for the whole last season that it was coming. I expected him to be part-time, like Ducky has been. He obviously faked his death and his team probably won’t know it’s fake.
The survival of the show depends on his gradual withdrawal to give viewers time to adjust to Tim being in charge.
This makes me think this is the last season for NCIS?
Actors/Actresses all deserve a break and he has been a consistent actor on this for 11 years. At some time it must take a toll on them. Unless they are putting all there hopes and dreams of NCIS Hawaii only time will tell.
I think you mean 18 year, Sean Murray for 17.5 years.
Actually 18 years + the months filming the 2 back-door pilot JAG episodes !
I thought this past season his role was already limited. This is not shocking news. Personally I’d like Katrina law to become permanent and Gary Cole is an excellent choice.
I think Katrina Law will be good for the Hawaii team.
Since she have experience working with
Hawaii 5’O. She knows the islands and would make a great NC IS agent.
I agree…I thought that Katrina Law would be great in the starring role in the new Hawaii series.
I’d agree with that. Katrina has the presence to convey leadership of the Hawaii team. CBS should have gone that route.
Yes love Katrina and love Gary Cole. So I say yes let’s get them a shot. Although I really do agree that they could have brought Scott bakula in and that would have been perfect.
“Shocker” but haven’t we (on here anyway) been talking about this for months? Lol
WOW!! this is a a ‘shocker’.. as was the series finale in May! My mouth dropped when I watched the ending!!!��we’ll just have to ‘wait & see’. If Gary Cole comes on board if will be interesting how he enters the series. I’ve been watching NCIS since it first aired.. the day & time change may bd an indication that this terrific series may be coming to an end at some point🥲
If Marks not there as much and they’re tagging Gary Cole to replace him I’m throwing in the towel on this show. Everytime I see Cole all I see is Mr Brady.
Don’t care for him as an actor
NEVER been a fan of Cole. He comes in and I’ll find a new show to watch. Compare the two and you have Harmon as a class act and Coke is bargain basement
I have never liked Gary Cole as an actor.
Too often there is an unexplained disconnect between the role and his acting.
We are giving it up too. We will continue to watch NCIS:LA but that’s it. My opinion, CBS blew it by cancelling New Orleans, All Rise, MacGyver and The Unicorn. And now this news.
I’m not a fan of Gary Cole’s acting AT ALL. If they bring in someone new I hope it is not him.
.
I haven’t minded any of the cast changes throughout the years as each has brought something new and different to the show as it evolved so hopefully they can find someone else.
Gary Cole has been in the CBS family for a while now with his recurring role as the husband of Diane Lockhart on The Good Wife and on The Good Fight on Paramount Plus… First heard of Gary from Midnight Caller and of course he is well known for being the boss from hell in Office Space…ummm…yeh…. He would fit in well..
I still remember him first from Midnight Caller as well, that seems so long ago but was a fun show. Have always liked him.
I don’t get the point of this post because you guys already said that he only signed on to keep the show from getting canceled So if you continue to emphasize his limited presence it’s like you’re trying to get a hand in the show being canceled to go against exactly what he wanted so why not just respect that and focus on who is on the show
Why would he leave? It is basically a show built around him. Won’t be the same with him just popping in to say hi like Duckie. I understand why Duckie actor left, but why Gibbs actor? Seems like a pretty great role and job for him, not going to have another like it, why doesn’t he stay to the end? His character is super interesting and needs to be there, the rest of the cast needs his character. Makes no sense to leave now after all these years.
“why doesn’t he stay to the end?” Mark Harmon is saying this is the end. He’s done!
Mark Harmon is also a co-producer of NCIS so the very fact that he has agreed to sign an albeit-limited contract to help continue the show is a strong argument that Harmon is NOT saying “this is the end” for what he hopes for the show.
You’re obviously a huge fan. Ducky actor? Gibbs actor?
Ducky is played by David McCallumn, Gibbs by Mark Harmon. I was hoping after this season’s flashback episode to when they met, they might pick up a new series from there. With Harmon’s son playing young Gibbs, it would even keep it in the family.
In my opinion he’s a 69 year old man who has worked extremely hard throughout his career and is ready to step back and enjoy the fruits of his labor. It’s important to remember that while the show is only 1 hour of TV per episode the actual filming process takes much longer especially under the Covid restrictions. He’s earned the right to do whatever he wants at this point and I am glad he agreed to even do this to save the show from complete cancellation leaving the rest of cast and crew out of jobs at a very unsettled time in the industry.
Yes!! He has definitely earned the right to retire from his job, and enjoy his retirement. He doesn’t have to keep working full time, just because his fans want to keep seeing “Gibbs”. Give him a break! 😎
@Belle I totally agree. Harmon has worked non stop for years in very time intensive jobs (12-14+ hour days) and deserves to enjoy life. His wife and family would probably like to see more of him and hell, since he is actually a carpenter, he may want to build a boat in his basement at home.
.
Just the fact that he is willing to come back in a limited capacity to keep the show going is a testament to his dedication to this show, the others actors/crew and the fans. It’s not like he needs the money.
He’s in his 70s and 9/10 months a year spending 12-28 days filming and promoting the show can be easy on him at that age
Actually he’s 69. He’ll be 70 in September. Contrary to popular belief not everyone that age is ready to be put out to pasture. I hardly think he acts like an old man
I worked full time until I was 87.1/2 Covid ended my job I could have easily kept on. Sometimes seven days in a row
Are there trying to kill off NCIS for good.
NCIS has been on the decline for last few years. Time to hang it up. It was a good run. Say goodbye.
Broadcast-TV’s most watched drama: https://tvline.com/lists/tv-season-rankings-2020-2021-nfl-masked-singer-this-is-us/
It’s the most watched show worldwide.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/1-us-drama-ncis-named-the-most-watched-drama-in-the-world-300476882.html
Your opinion there Deb please take your own advice and just “just say goodbye”
I agree, it was a good run, time to give it a good send off.
I am still upset that NCIS, NCIS LA and NCIS NO got split up! Now they have all the FBI shows in a row?? What is wrong with these people that make these decisions??
They think that’s what the few under 50 live viewers want to see: nights of connected shows. As for the rest of us, either our viewership is captured when we stream or we don’t matter much.
How can you do NCIS without Gibbs?????
You (probably) can’t, but the story was (think it was on here, if not it was THR) that if Harmon said I’m done then CBS were going to cancel the show so he agreed to return in a limited capacity for another year (at least) for the sake of the cast and crew.
Fact, Gibbs should have retired long ago. Nowhere else have people as old as gibbs and ducky stayed on such active positions. Gary Cole is a bad choise cos he has no history. Bring someone from the retired NCIS shows to replace him. Or Diane Neal.
Diane Neal is at least semi-retired from acting and was trying to get in to politics last I heard, and is also not in the good graces of the franchise due to her public criticism of the working conditions on NCIS: NO.
Yeah, I heard that about Diane Neal but I loved her as the Coast Guard NCIS officer. She was the female version of Gibbs through and through. Loved her character.
I’ve watched the show almost since the beginning. I own the first 12 seasons on DVD. I just don’t have the heart to invest in new characters for only one or two seasons. The show is Harmon. Let it end.
First they killed NCIS Nola by putting it on Sunday night at 10. With football on Nola was on so late it disappeared. Now moving NCIS to Monday at 9 will have same effect. The worst is these good shows are being replaced with the worst crap ever.
Why not bring Scott over from NCIS New Orleans. Everyone likes him. Makes much more sense than Gary Cole. With Cole it’ll be the death of the show after one season
I don’t think Scott would be a good choice. Pride had a vibe that went with New Orleans. He was out of his element when he had that job as SAC. Washington is more political than NO, and Gibbs is already the anti-establishment character. To have Pride do the same in Washington would be too much like Gibbs.
I like Gary Cole but bringing in Scott Bakula would have made sense, though his character did get a pretty happy ending on NCIS: NO.
They can’t bring Bakula/Pride over permanently because he is supposed to be happy in NOLA as a newlywed. No way he would leave Rita – plus per the finale life is going on as usual in that office. No office shakeups – so no way Pride would leave or any of the others. Maybe Sebastian since he had REACT training – but none of the others would make sense
Well, not everyone. I thought he was one of the weaker actors on NOLA, and seems to be wooden in other roles. Let him go back to Quantam Leap (but stay out the Trek universe – Enterprise was the only one of that series I couldn’t watch, partly because Bakula was just the most bland captain ever).
I agree and I thought back when they introduced Bakula’s real life wife, as his on screen love Rita, her story of having relocated from DC to be with him, would provide the device with which to relocate Pride to Headquarters were he would be handy for guest appearances.
Not really a surprise although it still makes me sad. Mark Harmon’s Gibbs has been the heart and soul of this show since the backdoor pilot on JAG back in 2003 (?) and I’ll certainly miss his presence. Big huge thanks to him for the 18 seasons he’s given us.
While it’s a given that the vast majority would love to have Harmon (Gibbs) appear in as many episodes as possible ,I hardly would use the word “shocked” by the indication appearances may be in “the single digit”.The reports that Harmon has been eying retirement from playing the full-time role have been around for over a year.He’s a co-Producer of NCIS so there is no question of TPTB forcing him out. A lot of people don’t realize how intense the schedule is for a typical Season of NCIS is for actors. They typically start reading their first script in early July–tablereads and rehearsals in mid/late July and do not wrap up til over 10 months later in April.There’s pre-filming reads,fittings,etc,, generally 9 days actual episode filming then post-production dialogue looping,etc. and as Primary Lead he’s been in most scenes every episode for over 18 years (adding in the JAG backdoor pilot).
History has proven when a show is moved to another night it will only last one or two seasons. The other issue is going against Monday Night Football is not wise. The reprieve is that a lot of people will record NCIS to watch later now that more and more people have this capability.
It would be cool for Gibbs to show up in NCIS: Pearl for some of the episodes.
The show anchored Tuesday. I don’t think fbi will hold up as well. I think they should have left it on Tuesday, especially if there will be less Mark.
I’ll miss Gibbs and Bishop. Even if Gibbs is in some episodes it won’t be the same. I sense an end in sight. One of the few shows that I could enjoy without having to deal with the gay requirements. Almost all the good shows are ending. I’ll enjoy while I can.
The “gay requirement”.👀 Homophobic at all Pat?? Also how do you know there aren’t gay actors on the show? smdh