When actor David McCallum died in September, it was a blow to fans who had watched him in movies and television for 70 years. But it may have been especially hard for fans of NCIS, one of the most popular TV shows of the last few years, who had seen him regularly over the last two decades playing the role of medical examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard. Fans, and the cast and crew, will now have a chance to say goodbye as a special tribute episode is set to air on February 19.
TVLine has revealed the date of the special NCIS episode, which will be the second episode of Season 21. In the episode, the NCIS team will learn of the death of Ducky and will reflect on their memories of him. The episode won’t just be some clip show, however. There will be some sort of case going on, that Ducky will actually play a part in solving. The episode is co-written by NCIS cast member Brian Dietzen, who first appeared as Ducky’s assistant in the first season of the show, and took over as medical examiner after McCallum transitioned into more of a guest star role during Season 16.
There have been indications that a few cameos might be planned for the special episode. After all, there are two decades worth of actors who worked with McCallum on NCIS who are no longer on the show, at least the ones that weren’t killed off, so there are likely many that would love to be part of a show that’s a tribute to their old colleague. Many NCIS cast members old and new responded to McCallum's death with touching memories. The showrunners did tell TVLine that the episode will contain a “special moment” fans won’t want to miss, but what they’re teasing is anybody’s guess.
While Ducky hadn’t been a series regular in a few years, and McCallum hadn't done much on NCIS for the last few years, the character popped in now and then to drop some wisdom. Simply not having him return to the show likely wasn’t seen as an option. He was the final regular cast member from Season 1 to say goodbye to the show after Mark Harmon departed in Season 19.
While David McCallum spent two decades on NCIS his list of credits includes several other major projects. He originated the role of Illya Kuryakin in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. He also appeared on the big screen in some iconic films like The Great Escape alongside Steve McQueen and The Greatest Story Ever Told.
February 19 is sure to be a big night for fans of NCIS and David McCallum. It’s certainly wonderful that the accomplished star and his accomplished character will get an entire episode in their memory.
