The upcoming Ducky tribute episode in NCIS season 21 will honor his connection to past characters. David McCallum, who portrayed Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, was an original NCIS cast member. McCallum died last September at the age of 90. The Scottish actor and three-time Emmy nominee played Ducky for two decades, having made multiple appearances in NCIS season 20.
In an interview with TV Insider, actor Brian Dietzen was asked about whether any former NCIS cast members for the upcoming tribute episode, which airs Monday, February 12 at 9 PM ET on CBS. Dietzen, who plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer and co-wrote the episode with executive producer Scott Williams, did not respond directly. However, he mentioned that Ducky’s connection with past characters like Gibbs will be acknowledged. Read his full response below:
What we tried to do with this episode was we tried honor the team that he worked with, and when I say the team, I mean the greater team, not just this team that we have right now that involves Parker, Torres [Wilmer Valderrama], Knight [Katrina Law], McGee [Sean Murray], Palmer, Kasie [Diona Reasonover], and Vance [Rocky Carroll]. The greater team is all of the different teams he’s worked with, many of which involved Gibbs [Mark Harmon], and then of course there’s Tony [Michael Weatherly] and Ziva [Cote de Pablo], and there’s Bishop [Emily Wickersham], Abby [Pauley Perrette], of course, and everyone in between.
And so when we wrote this thing, while it’s certainly not a show that’s just all about clips or anything like that, there are these remembrances of Ducky and we wanted to see him interacting with people that are on our current team and also people that are on our iterations of our team, too. I think we did a pretty good job with that, and I think that people like to see that they’re getting to see their Ducky many years past as well as the more recent.
How NCIS Sets Up Ducky’s Tribute Episode
The team gets a difficult phone call.
Although the bulk of the NCIS season 21 premiere is focused on Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) and the fallout from his actions, a phone call changes the team’s entire focus just as they’re about to head out to a crime scene. It’s Alden Parker (Gary Cole) on the phone with Jimmy, and he has to tell Jimmy to slow down. Audiences only hear one side of the conversation, but it’s clear that Alden hasn’t received good news at the end of the NCIS season 21 episode. The worrying conclusion leads to the Ducky tribute.
The upcoming episode, “The Stories We Leave Behind,” will address McCallum’s death and the chief medical examiner he portrayed since NCIS started. According to summaries and an NCIS season 21 trailer of the episode, the team will mourn Ducky’s passing and try to find comfort by working on one of his unfinished cases. The details of the case will involve a woman whose father was dishonorably discharged from the Marines.
David McCallum’s Favorite Episode Of NCIS
David McCallum’s Ducky has been part of the long-running NCIS since the very first season, and here’s his favorite episode from the show.
Although it’s not confirmed whether any former NCIS cast members might make a cameo to say farewell to McCallum and Ducky, it’s clear that both the contributions of the character and the actor will be remembered. It makes for an episode that speaks especially to those who have followed the long-running CBS procedural since the very beginning.
NCIS
NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. Special Agent Alden Parker, a quirky former FBI agent who solves his cases with calm professionalism and sharp, sarcastic charm, leads the NCIS team, which includes NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate with a knack for computers who has now graduated to senior field agent; the charismatic, unpredictable and resilient NCIS Special Agent Nicholas “Nick” Torres, who has spent most of his career on solo undercover assignments; and sharp, athletic and tough NCIS Special Agent Jessica Knight, a formidable REACT agent who specializes in hostage negotiations and high-risk operations. The naïve Jimmy Palmer is assisting the team, who graduated from assistant to fully licensed medical examiner and now runs the morgue; and forensic scientist Kasie Hines, Ducky’s former graduate assistant. Overseeing operations is NCIS Director Leon Vance, an intelligent, highly trained agent who can always be counted on to shake up the status quo. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.
- Release Date
- September 23, 2003
- Cast
- sean murray , Wilmer Valderrama , Katrina Law , Brian Dietzen , david mccallum , Mark Harmon , Rocky Carroll , Gary Cole , Joe Spano
- Seasons
- 21
- Writers
- Donald P. Bellisario
- Network
- CBS
- Streaming Service(s)
- Paramount+
- Franchise(s)
- NCIS
- Showrunner
- Donald P. Bellisario
- Where To Watch
- Paramount+
