124 Fun Facts About NCIS

Which actor portrays the character of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the NCIS series?

Mark Harmon played the lead role of Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs from the show's inception until his departure in Season 19.

Which fictional energy drink fills Abby Sciuto's giant cup?

Caf-Pow! exists only on the show; like Gibbs, Abby runs on caffeine, and hers comes by the giant cup.

Which actor played Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard, the anecdote-prone doctor and old friend of Gibbs?

David McCallum played Ducky from the 2003 JAG backdoor pilot until his death in September 2023 at 90; Ducky's rambling anecdotes became a running joke on the show.

Which of these phrases is one of Gibbs's well-known rules?

'Never say you're sorry' is Gibbs's Rule 6, completed by 'it's a sign of weakness'; it echoes John Wayne's line as Captain Nathan Brittles in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949).

From which television series did NCIS originate as a spin-off?

JAG, the military legal drama, introduced the NCIS characters in two season-eight episodes in April 2003; the spin-off premiered that September.

Who was Gibbs's boss, the NCIS Director, for the show's first two seasons?

Played by Alan Dale, Morrow leaves for the Department of Homeland Security at the start of season three and is replaced by Jenny Shepard.

Which NCIS team leader is famous for the 'headslap' he delivers to the back of his agents' heads?

Leroy Jethro Gibbs' headslap began as an unscripted, playful smack to DiNozzo's head in an early episode and became a running trademark across the seasons.

Which NCIS character initially served as a liaison officer from the Israeli Mossad?

Ziva David was introduced as a Mossad liaison officer to NCIS before eventually becoming a full-fledged NCIS Special Agent.

What is a common nickname given to Timothy McGee by his colleagues, particularly Tony DiNozzo?

Timothy McGee received many nicknames from Tony DiNozzo, with 'Probie' (short for probationary agent) being one of the most persistent in his early career. Other nicknames included 'McGeek' and 'Elf Lord'.

Who played Senior Field Agent Anthony DiNozzo from season one?

Weatherly moved straight on to the lead role in the CBS legal drama Bull, and later reprised DiNozzo opposite Cote de Pablo in the spin-off NCIS: Tony & Ziva.

What does the acronym NCIS stand for?

NCIS stands for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which is the primary law enforcement agency of the U.S. Department of the Navy.

Which series, starring LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell, was the first spin-off of NCIS when it premiered in 2009?

NCIS: Los Angeles premiered in 2009 with LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell, making it the first spin-off and the second series in the NCIS franchise.

NCIS premiered on September 23, 2003, as a spin-off of JAG, on which US broadcast network?

CBS premiered NCIS on September 23, 2003, and kept it in a Tuesday slot for 18 seasons, where it ranked as the most-watched drama on US television for several seasons.

Which forensic scientist character on NCIS is known for her distinctive gothic fashion sense?

Pauley Perrette's Abby, with her pigtails, spider-web tattoo and black lab wardrobe, became one of the show's most popular characters.

Who co-created the long-running television series NCIS?

NCIS was co-created by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill; Bellisario, who also created parent show JAG, had earlier made Magnum, P.I. and Airwolf.

Which is one of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' numbered rules?

It is Rule 9, first heard in the season 1 episode 'One Shot, One Kill', and Gibbs sometimes shortens it to 'Always carry a knife.'

What is the full first and middle name of the character affectionately known as "Ducky"?

Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard's full name is Donald Horatio Mallard. His nickname 'Ducky' is a play on his last name, as a mallard is a type of duck.

Which FBI agent is Gibbs's long-running friend and sparring partner, and married Gibbs's ex-wife Diane?

Tobias Fornell, played by Joe Spano, married Gibbs's ex-wife Diane despite Gibbs's warning; she left him too, and the two men stayed friends across the series.

Under what pen name did Timothy McGee publish his "Deep Six" series of novels?

Thom E. Gemcity is an anagram of Timothy McGee; his Deep Six novels, introduced in season 4, feature thinly disguised versions of his NCIS colleagues, who were not amused to recognise themselves.

Gibbs's wife Shannon and daughter Kelly were murdered while he was deployed during which operation?

Desert Storm: Gibbs was deployed to Kuwait during the Gulf War when a drug dealer had Shannon and Kelly killed; the loss shapes his backstory, his rules and his failed marriages.

Tony DiNozzo left NCIS at the end of which season, after learning he had a daughter with Ziva David?

DiNozzo departs in season 13 after learning he has a daughter, Tali, with Ziva, who is believed dead at the time, and quits to raise her.

When Leon Vance first appeared in season five, what post did he hold under Jenny Shepard?

Vance debuts as Assistant Director in the season 5 episode 'Internal Affairs' and is named Director after Jenny Shepard is killed in the season finale 'Judgment Day'.

In NCIS, Jimmy Palmer started as Ducky Mallard's assistant and eventually took over which role from him?

Chief Medical Examiner: Palmer, played by Brian Dietzen, assisted Ducky from season 1 and took over the post in season 16 when Ducky stepped back to become NCIS historian.

Before joining Gibbs's NCIS team in season 11, Eleanor 'Ellie' Bishop was an analyst at which intelligence agency?

Bishop, played by Emily Wickersham, was an NSA analyst who first appears in the season 11 episode 'Gut Check' and stays until season 18.

What military branch did Leroy Jethro Gibbs serve in before joining NCIS?

U.S. Marine Corps: Gibbs served as a Marine Scout Sniper and left the Corps after his wife and daughter were murdered, joining NIS under Mike Franks; officers address him as 'Gunny'.

Forensic scientist Abby Sciuto left the main cast at the end of which season (by number)?

Abby left at the end of season 15 (2018): she resigned to take MI6 agent Clayton Reeves's body home to England and start a homeless charity in his honour.

From which country did Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard originate?

His cellphone ringtone is bagpipes playing 'Scotland the Brave', and the character was educated at Eton and Edinburgh.

Which university did Timothy McGee attend, specializing in computer forensics?

Timothy McGee is a highly intelligent agent with a background in computer forensics, having graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Which two JAG episodes served as the backdoor pilot for NCIS?

'Ice Queen' and 'Meltdown' aired on JAG in April 2003 as its season-eight backdoor pilot, introducing Gibbs, DiNozzo, Abby and Ducky five months before NCIS premiered.

Which NCIS unit does Gibbs run?

The MCRT handles high-visibility crimes tied to the Navy and Marine Corps; the Office of Special Projects is the Los Angeles spin-off's unit.

Where is the fictional NCIS headquarters based in the series?

The show places NCIS headquarters at the Washington Navy Yard; the real agency was based there too until it moved to Marine Corps Base Quantico in 2011.

What was the title of the two-part season-six episode that launched NCIS: Los Angeles?

"Legend" introduced Chris O'Donnell as G. Callen and LL Cool J as Sam Hanna in April and May 2009.

In 2011, an online Harris Poll voted NCIS what?

The 2011 Harris Poll named NCIS America's favorite television show; its ratings kept climbing and in 2012–13 it was the most-watched series in the United States.

NCIS surpassed which western's record as CBS's longest-running scripted primetime series?

Gunsmoke ran on CBS for 20 seasons from 1955 to 1975; NCIS passed it and kept going.

Which season-ten episode set the series viewing record with 22.86 million viewers?

"Shiva" aired January 15, 2013, in the wake of Eli David's death storyline.

What is the crew's nickname for the black-and-white clips that open each segment of an episode?

The two-second clips began with the season-two episode "Lt. Jane Doe" and preview the last moments of each act.

Which publisher released the poorly reviewed 2011 NCIS video game for PC, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii?

Ubisoft published NCIS (2011) for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii; reviews were dismal, yet a Nintendo 3DS version followed in 2012.

According to a 2016 New York Times report, NCIS is most popular in which kind of area?

The Times's 2016 map of viewing by region found NCIS most popular in rural areas; the same study tied Duck Dynasty to rural viewers and Modern Family to cities.

Why did NCIS briefly suspend production in January 2025?

The Southern California wildfires that broke out around Los Angeles on January 7, 2025, halted many productions, including NCIS, which paused filming for several days.

Who plays the young Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the prequel NCIS: Origins?

Austin Stowell, previously seen in Whiplash and Bridge of Spies, was cast as the young Gibbs in March 2024; NCIS: Origins premiered on CBS in October 2024.

In what year is NCIS: Origins set?

NCIS: Origins is set in 1991, with a newly minted agent Gibbs at the NIS Camp Pendleton office a dozen years before the parent series begins.

What role does Mark Harmon take in NCIS: Origins?

Harmon also executive produces alongside his son Sean, who played young Gibbs in flashbacks on the original show.

Which actor plays Gibbs's mentor Mike Franks in NCIS: Origins?

Kyle Schmid plays the younger Mike Franks in Origins; Muse Watson played the older Franks on the original series, and Bobby Moynihan plays Woody Browne in the prequel.

The 1990s Camp Pendleton set for NCIS: Origins was built at which former Army post?

Fort MacArthur sits in San Pedro, on the Los Angeles waterfront.

NCIS: Sydney pairs NCIS agents with officers from which Australian agency?

The Australian Federal Police supply half the joint team in NCIS: Sydney, including Todd Lasance's Sergeant Jim 'JD' Dempsey, working cases involving U.S. military personnel in Australia.

Why did NCIS: Sydney end up airing on CBS rather than staying streaming-only?

The 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA walkouts — the Hollywood strikes — left CBS short of new scripted shows, so it added the Australian series to its fall 2023 broadcast schedule.

NCIS: Sydney became the first Australian series to do what?

NCIS: Sydney was billed as the first Australian-produced series to air in U.S. network prime time when CBS scheduled it in November 2023 during the strikes.

In which city are Tony and Ziva living when NCIS: Tony & Ziva begins?

Paris: Ziva left NCIS to join Tony and their daughter Tali there in the season 17 episode 'In the Wind', and the 2025 spin-off opens with the family settled in the city.

What is the name of the mysterious tech program at the center of NCIS: Tony & Ziva's plot?

An unknown assailant uses 9.4 to try to steal Interpol funds and frame Tony.

On what platform did NCIS: Tony & Ziva premiere in September 2025?

Paramount+ premiered NCIS: Tony & Ziva on September 4, 2025, reuniting Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo nearly a decade after DiNozzo left the parent series.

Who plays Jane Tennant, the franchise's first female lead, in NCIS: Hawaiʻi?

Vanessa Lachey played Jane Tennant, Special Agent in Charge of the Pearl Harbor Field Office, from the show's 2021 premiere.

Which NCIS: Los Angeles character did Daniela Ruah play?

Daniela Ruah played Special Agent Kensi Blye across all 14 seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles, partnered with Eric Christian Olsen's Marty Deeks, whom Kensi eventually marries.

What was the title of the NCIS: Los Angeles spin-off pilot that CBS declined to pick up in 2013?

'Red', a two-part NCIS: Los Angeles backdoor pilot aired in March 2013, followed a mobile team living and working on the road, led by John Corbett and Kim Raver; CBS passed.

Who created NCIS: Los Angeles?

Shane Brennan, who ran NCIS from its fifth season, created NCIS: Los Angeles in 2009; Donald Bellisario later sued CBS, claiming his contract gave him the first chance to develop a spin-off.

Which Oscar-winning actress played operations manager Hetty Lange on NCIS: Los Angeles?

Linda Hunt, who won the 1983 supporting-actress Oscar for The Year of Living Dangerously, played Hetty Lange from the 2009 premiere; her role shrank in the show's final seasons.

What is Callen's rarely used first name on NCIS: Los Angeles?

Grisha: Callen, raised in foster care and known for years only by the initial G, eventually learned the Russian first name given to him by his father, Nikita Reznikov.

On NCIS: Los Angeles, Marty Deeks joined the team as a liaison from which agency?

Deeks, introduced late in season 1, served as the LAPD's liaison to NCIS and stayed a police detective until his liaison post was cut in season 12, pushing him to train as an NCIS agent.

On NCIS: Los Angeles, Sam Hanna is a former member of which military unit?

SEAL Team Six: Sam Hanna is a former Navy SEAL, and the writers made him the team's family man, with a wife, Michelle, who was herself a CIA operative.

Which actress played intelligence analyst Nell Jones on NCIS: Los Angeles?

Renée Felice Smith played Nell Jones, the Office of Special Projects' intelligence analyst, from season 2 until her departure in the season 12 finale in 2021.

What is Special Agent Dwayne Pride's nickname?

'King' is what his team calls Pride, and Gibbs uses it too from their days as young agents; Scott Bakula played him across all seven seasons of NCIS: New Orleans.

Which NCIS franchise show was the first to end, concluding in May 2021?

It ran seven seasons; Los Angeles followed it off the air two years later.

Who played medical examiner Loretta Wade in Dwayne Pride's spin-off?

Pounder was cast alongside Bakula and McLellan for the February 2014 pilot.

In which Pennsylvania town did Gibbs grow up, per the episode "Heartland"?

His father Jackson ran the Stillwater General Store; series creator Bellisario was himself born in Cokeburg.

Which veteran actor played Gibbs's father Jackson on the original NCIS?

Ralph Waite, The Waltons' patriarch, played Jackson Gibbs from 2008 until his death in 2014; Robert Taylor took the role in NCIS: Origins.

How many times has Gibbs been married?

Four: Gibbs married Shannon, then Diane, Rebecca and Stephanie; the three later marriages ended in divorce, while Shannon was murdered with their daughter Kelly.

Who murdered Gibbs's wife Shannon and daughter Kelly?

Pedro Hernandez, a Mexican drug dealer, killed them after Shannon witnessed him murder a Marine at Camp Pendleton; Gibbs later tracked him to Mexico and shot him.

Which Star Trek: Voyager actress played Rebecca Chase, one of Gibbs's ex-wives?

Jeri Ryan, Voyager's Seven of Nine, played Rebecca Chase, introduced in season 12; her marriage to Gibbs ended after she cheated on him.

In season 15, Gibbs swapped his SIG Sauer P228 for which pistol?

The .45-caliber M1911 was the U.S. military's standard sidearm for most of the 20th century.

Where did Gibbs first meet his future wife Shannon in the summer of 1976?

They met on the Stillwater train platform as Gibbs left for Marine boot camp; Shannon's own rules for life inspired the numbered rules he later drilled into his agents.

How long was Gibbs in a coma after being wounded in Desert Storm, per "Hiatus"?

Nineteen days: in 'Hiatus' Ducky recalls that a 1991 explosion in Kuwait left Gibbs comatose for 19 days, an injury that earned him a Purple Heart.

Which actress played Gibbs's first wife Shannon in flashbacks?

Darby Stanchfield, later Abby Whelan on Scandal, played Shannon Gibbs in flashbacks beginning with the season 3 finale 'Hiatus'.

In which 2021 episode does Gibbs leave NCIS after finding peace in Alaska?

'Great Wide Open', the fourth episode of season 19 (October 2021), ends with Gibbs staying in Alaska after the case that followed his season-18 suspension.

Which show convinced Bellisario that Mark Harmon could play Gibbs?

Bellisario cast Harmon after seeing his 2002 guest arc on The West Wing as Simon Donovan, a role that earned him an Emmy nomination.

Which actress played Dr. Samantha Ryan, Gibbs's season-nine love interest?

Jamie Lee Curtis played Dr. Samantha Ryan, head of the Defense Department's PsyOps division, across several season-nine episodes in 2012.

For which university did Mark Harmon start at quarterback in 1972 and 1973?

Harmon started at quarterback for UCLA in 1972 and 1973; his first start was a 20–17 upset of two-time defending national champion Nebraska.

In January 1986, People magazine gave Mark Harmon what title?

People named Harmon its Sexiest Man Alive in its January 27, 1986 issue, while he was starring as Dr. Bobby Caldwell on St. Elsewhere.

Mark Harmon's father Tom Harmon won which famous award?

Tom Harmon won the 1940 Heisman Trophy as Michigan's star halfback; Mark's mother Elyse Knox was an actress, and his sister Kristin married Rick Nelson.

Which actress did Mark Harmon marry in 1987?

Pam Dawber, Mindy of Mork & Mindy, married Harmon in March 1987; they have two sons and keep a famously low profile.

Which real-life serial killer did Mark Harmon portray in the 1986 TV film The Deliberate Stranger?

The role came the same year Harmon left St. Elsewhere and was named Sexiest Man Alive.

In which Israeli city was Ziva David born?

Beersheba (Be'er Sheva), in the Negev, is Ziva's birthplace in her NCIS file; her November 12 birthday matches that of Cote de Pablo, who plays her.

Which terrorist, Ziva's half-brother, killed Kate Todd in the season-two finale?

Ari Haswari, a Mossad officer turned terrorist and Ziva's half-brother, shot Kate Todd in the season-two finale; Ziva then killed Ari in the season-three premiere 'Kill Ari'.

What accent did Cote de Pablo use when she auditioned for the role that became Ziva?

The part was described only as a generic eastern European woman; it was rewritten as Israeli after she was cast.

In which country was Ziva captured by terrorists and presumed dead before her rescue?

Somalia: held by Saleem Ulman's cell after the season 6 finale, Ziva was rescued by Gibbs, Tony and McGee in 'Truth or Consequences'; she then left Mossad and became a U.S. citizen.

Cote de Pablo was born in which country?

Cote de Pablo was born in Santiago, Chile, in 1979, moved to Miami at age 10 and later studied drama at Carnegie Mellon University.

For which police department did Tony DiNozzo work immediately before joining NCIS in 2001?

Baltimore: after stints in Peoria and Philadelphia, DiNozzo was a Baltimore homicide detective until he found his partner Danny Price was dirty and joined Gibbs in 2001.

Which disease nearly killed Tony DiNozzo in season two?

Pneumonic plague: in 'SWAK' (season 2) a woman mailed genetically altered Yersinia pestis to NCIS in revenge over a neglected case, and Tony opened the envelope.

At the end of season five, Tony was reassigned as Special Agent Afloat aboard which carrier?

Vance posted Tony to the USS Ronald Reagan as agent afloat in the season 5 finale 'Judgment Day'; he moved to the fictional USS Seahawk before rejoining the team early in season 6.

Before NCIS, Michael Weatherly played Logan Cale on which sci-fi series?

Weatherly played Logan Cale opposite Jessica Alba on Dark Angel (2000–02); after leaving NCIS he headlined Bull for six seasons as trial consultant Dr. Jason Bull.

In which country was Michael Weatherly filming when he first met Donald Bellisario?

Weatherly was in Australia playing Robert Wagner in the TV biopic The Mystery of Natalie Wood when Bellisario met him; a three-hour dinner won him the DiNozzo role.

Who plays McGee's sister Sarah on NCIS?

Troian Bellisario, later of Pretty Little Liars, played Sarah McGee; she is Donald Bellisario's daughter and Sean Murray's stepsister, as Bellisario married Murray's mother in 1998.

Where did Timothy McGee spend his childhood, as his father was a naval officer stationed there?

Alameda, California: McGee grew up there while his father, a career Navy officer, was stationed at the base; he was born in Bethesda, Maryland, as was Sean Murray.

From which university did McGee earn his bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering?

His GPA was 3.9 only because he failed a fencing class in his sophomore year.

What is the name of McGee's wife, a Department of Defense analyst?

Delilah Fielding, a Department of Defense analyst played by Margo Harshman, married McGee in the season 14 finale and is the mother of their twins, Johnny and Morgan.

Sean Murray played Thackery Binx in which 1993 Disney film?

Sean Murray played Thackery Binx, the boy cursed into a black cat, in Hocus Pocus (1993); he also played Danny Walden on JAG before NCIS.

What is Abby Sciuto's unusual middle name?

Beethoven: Abigail Beethoven Sciuto is her full name on the show; Pauley Perrette played her in every episode through May 2018, plus guest spots on the Los Angeles and New Orleans spin-offs.

What did Bellisario's original script say about Abby, according to Pauley Perrette?

Perrette said Bellisario wanted an alternative-style person who was happy, put together and successful.

Which field did Pauley Perrette study at Valdosta State and John Jay College before acting?

Criminal justice: Perrette studied criminology at Valdosta State and went on to John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York before acting, a fitting résumé for a forensic scientist.

On which sitcom did Pauley Perrette play a waitress at Cafe Nervosa?

Frasier: Perrette served coffee at Cafe Nervosa in the season-four two-parter 'Three Dates and a Breakup' (1997); she also guest-starred in the first season of 24.

For which agency did Kate Todd work before Gibbs recruited her in "Yankee White"?

Secret Service: Kate was on the presidential protective detail aboard Air Force One in 'Yankee White' and resigned after admitting a relationship that broke its fraternization rule; Gibbs hired her.

Kate Todd was created to replace which character from the JAG backdoor pilot?

Bellisario felt Blackadder's actress Robyn Lively was "too soft"; Jennifer Aniston was also considered for Kate.

What is the title of the season-two finale in which Kate Todd is killed?

Michael Weatherly said he only learned of the plan when he saw a blood pack being attached to Sasha Alexander's hair.

After NCIS, Sasha Alexander starred as a medical examiner on which TNT series?

Rizzoli & Isles: Alexander played Dr. Maura Isles, the Massachusetts chief medical examiner, for seven seasons from 2010 to 2016 opposite Angie Harmon.

Jimmy Palmer was named after a pitcher from which baseball team?

The joke is that Palmer, named for Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, does not like baseball.

In which season-one episode does Jimmy Palmer first appear?

'Split Decision' (season 1, episode 21) introduces Palmer as Ducky's assistant after Gerald Jackson is wounded in 'Bête Noire'; Brian Dietzen became a series regular in season 10.

Ellie Bishop is a self-described "country girl" from which state?

Oklahoma: Bishop grew up there with three older brothers, and her habit of thinking cross-legged on the floor surrounded by snacks is a running trait.

How long was Emily Wickersham's original NCIS arc as Ellie Bishop supposed to be?

The three-episode arc began November 19, 2013; she stayed eight years, leaving after season 18.

In which season-14 premiere does undercover agent Nick Torres first appear?

'Rogue' (September 2016) opens season 14 with Torres's deep cover blown; he raced back to D.C. to protect his sister Lucia and ended up on Gibbs's team.

Wilmer Valderrama, who plays Nick Torres, is best known for which sitcom role?

Fez, the foreign exchange student on That '70s Show (1998–2006), made Valderrama famous; he also voiced Agustín Madrigal in Encanto and Manny in Handy Manny.

Jessica Knight was the sole survivor of an explosion that killed her teammates on which unit?

A REACT team: Knight was the only survivor when a bomb killed her Regional Enforcement Action Capabilities Team in the season-18 episode 'Blown Away'; she joined the MCRT as a regular in season 19.

Katrina Law, who plays Jessica Knight, played Nyssa al Ghul on which superhero series?

Arrow: Law played Nyssa al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul, on the CW series from 2013; she had earlier starred as Mira on Spartacus before joining NCIS in 2021.

Which agency fired Alden Parker before he took over Gibbs's team?

FBI: Parker was fired from the Bureau for refusing to arrest Gibbs in Alaska; Gibbs then recommended him to lead the team after McGee turned the job down.

Gary Cole, who plays Alden Parker, played micromanaging boss Bill Lumbergh in which 1999 comedy?

Office Space: Mike Judge's 1999 comedy gave Cole his signature role as Bill Lumbergh; Cole studied at Illinois State alongside John Malkovich and Laurie Metcalf and joined the Steppenwolf ensemble.

Jack Sloane, the team's psychologist, was a prisoner of war in which country?

Afghanistan: Sloane, a former Army lieutenant, was captured and tortured there during her service, a trauma explored in her season-15 arc after Vance brought her to the team.

Maria Bello, who played Jack Sloane, earlier played Anna Del Amico on which medical drama?

ER: Bello played pediatrician Dr. Anna Del Amico in 1997–98; she later earned an Emmy nomination and won a Critics' Choice Award for the limited series Beef.

Ducky originally hired Kasie Hines to help him with what?

A book about past cases: Kasie was Ducky's research assistant on his memoir when a resurfaced cold case in 'One Man's Trash' (season 15) brought them back to NCIS together.

Which longtime CIA antagonist did Gibbs's team, Reeves included, gun down in the season 13 finale?

Trent Kort, the duplicitous CIA officer introduced in season 4, drew his weapon in the season 13 finale 'Family First' and was shot by the whole team; Reeves later died defending Abby.

Alex Quinn joined Gibbs's team after 15 years assigned where?

FLETC: Quinn spent 15 years teaching at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers in Georgia before Gibbs recruited her; Jennifer Esposito played her for season 14 only.

David McCallum first found fame as secret agent Illya Kuryakin on which 1960s series?

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–68) made McCallum a star as Illya Kuryakin; in the NCIS pilot, when Kate asks what Ducky looked like young, Gibbs answers 'Illya Kuryakin'.

Rocky Carroll, Lauren Holly and Jayne Brook all reunited with Harmon on NCIS after which series?

Chicago Hope: Harmon played Dr. Jack McNeil on the CBS medical drama from 1996 to 2000 alongside Carroll, Holly and Brook, who later played Vance, Shepard and Jackie Vance on NCIS.

Besides JAG and NCIS, which of these series did Donald P. Bellisario create?

Quantum Leap (1989–93), with Scott Bakula as Sam Beckett, was Bellisario's creation; his credits also include Magnum, P.I., Airwolf and Tales of the Gold Monkey.

Which infamous figure did Bellisario say he nearly fought while serving in the Marines in 1958?

Bellisario, a Marine sergeant, said Oswald was reading Pravda at a supply shed, which offended him.

Lauren Holly, NCIS's Director Jenny Shepard, played Mary Swanson in which 1994 comedy?

Dumb and Dumber (1994) cast Holly as Mary Swanson opposite Jim Carrey, whom she briefly married; she also played Bruce Lee's wife Linda in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.

How many NCIS episodes had aired by the end of season 23 in May 2026?

That makes it the fifth-longest-running scripted American prime-time series overall.

Which actor auditioned for young Gibbs in NCIS: Origins before losing out to the eventual star?

The Arrow star lost out in March 2024; the prequel premiered that October.