NCIS season 19: CBS boss on Mark Harmon, Gary Cole transition

We know that there has been a lot of attention paid to NCIS season 19 this year, mostly due to the transition at its core. Mark Harmon is gone from the series for the time being and with that, Gary Cole has stepped in to his place. Alden Parker is not necessarily the new Jethro Gibbs, but they occupy a similar place and a similar function in the story.

Will we see Gibbs again? We’re not ruling that out, but we don’t think that it’s something that can be thought about week in and week out. NCIS has to move forward, and they’re trying to do just that with a well-known actor at the center of the story.

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For the time being, seems to be more than satisfied with the transition from Harmon to Cole, at least when it comes to the ratings. The series is still the fall’s most-watched scripted show with 12 million+ viewers a week in live+7 data, even with the departure of their longtime lead. Speaking via TVLine, CBS programming boss Kelly Kahl cited Cole’s performance as one reason for it, plus also the producers for handling a difficult transition:

“Gary Cole is amazing … You don’t replace a Mark Harmon, but I really can’t think of any show that has done as great a job replacing really major characters over the years, and really staying top of mind for viewers. You talk about somebody stepping up almost seamlessly into a role, and Gary Cole is the best.”

In the end, we think the real story of NCIS season 19 will be told closer to the end of the season; if the ratings are still what they are now, it’s easy to be confident in a season 20.

Related – Get some more news on the next NCIS episode

What do you most want to see from NCIS season 19 moving forward, and do you think we’ll see Gary Cole again?

Be sure to share right now in the attached comments! Once you do just that, stick around — there are other updates ahead and we don’t want you to miss them. (Photo: CBS.)

This article was written by Jess Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.