The NCIS cast has dramatically changed over the years but Agent Timothy McGee remains a staple in the CBS drama.
NCIS has been airing for two decades and while many have left the award-winning drama, Agent Timothy McGee has remained – so when did he join the cast?
The iconic CBS police procedural has already been given the thumbs up for season 21, despite fears it would be cancelled following Agent Leroy Gibbs’ (played by Mark Harmon) exit.
Among the stars returning for the new episodes is actor Sean Murray who is behind the beloved character of Agent Timothy McGee.
When did McGee join NCIS?
While fans do think of McGee as an original member of the team, this isn’t the case.
In fact, he was nowhere to be seen for the first handful of episodes.
It wasn’t until season one, episode seven, Sub Rosa, which aired on November 18, 2003, that he finally popped up.
The 45-year-old was initially brought in as an extra character for the other agents to joke around with for one episode only.
But due to an instalment’s running time needing to be extended by three minutes, Murray was brought back in for another scene.
He opened up to Culture Pop Podcast about the beginning of the creators building up McGee’s character and his relationship with the rest of the agents.
He said: “I came back, we did that, it felt good, then from that point on we started having just small McGee appearances through the first season there.
“They were popping up, one by one, each episode, they were progressively getting bigger and there was a feeling of like something there that was really kind of cool.
“I felt it, they [the writers] felt it, it was like there was a slice of the pizza that was missing.
“It was a character that was able to do a lot of things, and not do a lot of things, that the other characters couldn’t – it was a whole different dynamic, he brought something fun.”
NCIS will be back for more with season 21 already getting the green light, with the main cast, including Murray, expected to reprise their roles.
Usually, a new series begins in either September or October but sadly, the wait is going to be longer this time around.
With the writers and actors strikes still ongoing, NCIS isn’t likely to make a comeback until early 2024.