NCIS lost its last original cast member with the death of David McCallum last Sept. 25 of natural causes at age 90, and now, with the return of original episodes of the hit CBS series in February, it will also mark the death of the character he played, chief medical examiner/NCIS Historian Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard.
TVLine received an exclusive statement from NCIS co-showrunners/executive producers Steven D. Binder and David North, saying, “Everyone at NCIS felt it was important to do an episode that honors such a legendary actor, not to mention a dear friend.
“In the episode, the team will learn of Ducky’s passing and reflect on their memories of him as they grieve. And true to Ducky’s meticulous and compassionate nature, even after he’s gone, he still manages to solve one last crime with the team.”
When is the David McCallum tribute on NCIS?
Appropriately, the special tribute episode will be co-written by Brian Dietzen, who began in a recurring role as Ducky’s assistant Jimmy Palmer and became a regular cast member in Season 10, along with executive producer Scott Williams. When Ducky transitioned to his role as historian, Jimmy, who had secretly finished getting his medical degree, took over the job.
The tribute episode is scheduled to air on Feb. 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Will Mark Harmon return for Ducky’s memorial episode on NCIS?
NCIS currently stars Gary Cole, Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama, Kristina Law, Dietzen, Rocky Carroll and Diona Reasonover, and it was not revealed whether or not any former cast members such as Mark Harmon or Michael Weatherly will return for the episode.
Binder and North did hint in their statement to TVLine, “There will also be a very touching and special moment you won’t want to miss.”
At the time of McCallum’s death last September, Binder and North issued the following statement:
“For over 20 years, David McCallum endeared himself to audiences around the world playing the wise, quirky, and sometimes enigmatic, Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard. But as much as his fans may have loved him, those who worked side by side with David loved him that much more …. From Day 1, it was an honor to work with him and he never let us down. He was, quite simply, a legend.”
NCIS returns for its 21st season on Feb. 12, with the tribute episode scheduled to air on Feb. 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.