NCIS’ unbroken 21-year casting record is the key to its success despite multiple character exits

NCIS has held an impressive casting record, a testament to the series’ unwavering commitment to its characters even through multiple character exits. With 21 years on TV and the upcoming NCIS Season 22 premieres in October, NCIS stands as one of the longest-running scripted seriesA feat attributed to his dedication to character integrity. The franchise has honed various strategies to navigate significant casting fluctuations, all rooted in a firm rule protecting character continuity.

NCIS is a series built on rules and values. Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs famously lived by a set of rules, a legacy of his wife, Shannon. Young Shannon Gibbs’ character reveals her own code in a flashback in “Heartland,” which is one of the best episodes of NCIS. The success of the series calls for attention Gibbs Rule #34: There is no such thing as a coincidence. The series’ longevity on CBS can be traced back to the meticulous maintenance of one rule: never recast a character.

NCIS has never recast a major character in 21 years

NCIS Would Rather Kill Its Characters (And That’s a Good Thing)

Since the series began in 2003, NCIS Has never recast a main character In 21 years. Instead, when an actor leaves the series, the police procedural writes the character and moves on. This tactic is the key to the success of the series because it more accurately portrays the nature of life: sometimes, people die, relocate or take a different job, and people have to continue without them. Conversely, it is disorienting when television replaces a familiar character with a different actor. People come and go from a lifetime but rarely change their persona and core physical characteristics.

Although it is understandable that series sometimes recast a character, NCIS Would rather send his letters awayCreating a more complex narrative and maintaining continuity. For example, after Sasha Alexander left NCIS After only two seasons, her character, Caitlin Todd, was shot in the head and skillfully replaced with Cote de Pablo’s Ziva David. Kate’s shocking death signaled to audiences that no character is safe. It increased the lengths the series was willing to go to to tell compelling stories, and the change only added to the series’ success; Ziva was one of the most favorite NCIS Letters ever.

Why recasting major cast members is tricky in NCIS

NCIS characters are irreplaceable

Even if the series wanted to recast its characters, it would be tricky. Many NCIS Characters stay with the series for decadesThat complicates someone else stepping into the role and making it their own. Recasting Gibbs was unthinkable when the series had to navigate Mark Harmon NCIS Exit. Harmon helped establish NCIS Like Gibbs, no one else could fill his role since he was vital to the franchise. Instead, the series brought Gary Cole’s Alden Parker character – an FBI agent who has nothing in common with Gibbs but is memorably connected to his departure.

The exception to this rule was recasting characters from Gibbs’ past. The character himself was recast for NCIS: Origins – An inevitability, considering the prequel nature of the show. While Sean Harmon technically could have resumed his role as Young Gibbs, the actor never had a significant role in the original series, so it makes sense that the series took a casting risk with NCIS: Origins. Except this one NCIS has maintained an impressive streak by not recasting any major characters from the flagship project.