Mark Harmon Departs ‘NCIS'

Mark Harmon in 'NCIS'
Mark Harmon in 'NCIS' (Image credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS)

Mark Harmon has ended his run on CBS drama NCIS. He plays Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. The show started season 19 in September

The episode on Oct. 11 saw Gibbs and Special Agent Timothy McGee (played Sean Murray) solving a case in Alaska. When it concluded, Gibbs informed his partner that he would stay in Alaska. 

“I’m not going back, Tim,” Gibbs said as he fished. 

Harmon has played the character dating back to JAG in 2003. 

“As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show,” NCIS executive producer and showrunner Steven D. Binder said in a statement. “Our North Star has always been staying true to our characters, and that truth has always guided the stories we tell and where those characters go. So regarding the future of Gibbs, as longtime fans of the show may have noticed over the years … never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out.”

Short for Naval Criminal Investigative Service, NCIS focuses on the dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. “NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine gunnery sergeant whose skills as an investigator are unmatched, leads this troupe of colorful personalities,” goes the CBS description. “Gibbs, a man of few words, only needs a look to explain it all.” 

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.