Mark Harmon Officially Returns as Gibbs for New NCIS Season

When it comes to long-running network TV franchises, very few have been around as long as NCIS. While most look at the first NCIS series that began in 2003 as the franchise’s primary launching point, most of its most iconic characters were introduced in JAG, which was on the air from 1995 to 2003. During the eighth season of JAG, characters such as Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander), Abby Scuito (Pauly Perrette), and even Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum) was first shown on-screen before they went on to headline the original NCIS series, which is still going strong all these years later. With over 500 episodes and 23 seasons under its belt, NCIS isn’t set to leave the air anytime soon, and neither is its flagship spin-off/prequel, NCIS: Origins.