Here's Why Mark Harmon Didn't Appear in NCIS' David McCallum Tribute Episode

The Monday (February 19) episode of NCIS was a memorable one: it was one that honored the late David McCallum (aka Ducky). David passed away at the age of 90 back in September.

The episode was written by Brian Dietzen, who portrays Jimmy Palmer. This post will contain spoilers for the episode, so if you haven’t watched, be forewarned.

Keep reading to find out more…

Michael Weatherly’s Tony DiNozzo made a cameo appearance, prompting many to wonder why Mark Harmon‘s Gibbs was not featured as well.

Brian told The Wrap, “I think everyone would love to see Gibbs make an appearance at some point. That is such a beloved character, TV history. I’m really happy with the way [the scene] turned out. The way that it works with Jimmy and Tony. There’s an intimacy to that and there’s a familiarity to that.”

Brian also revealed that Mark had been in talks to return, but ultimately, due to scheduling conflicts, could not appear.

See photos from the episode in the gallery…