NCIS’ Brian Dietzen Explains How 1000th Episode Honored ‘Everything’
By Movieguide® Contributor
NCIS just aired its 1000th episode on April 15, and actor Brian Dietzen discussed his excitement for this milestone as well as the upcoming season finale.
In a discussion with Entertainment Weekly, the actor, who plays medical examiner Jimmy Palmer, shared, “I love these people that I work with, and our crew that’s been together with us for 21 years, a lot of them all the way through from the beginning to now. I think you can see that camaraderie and the comfort and familiarity. It comes through to viewers.”
EW asked Dietzen more about how the 1000th episode “honors the deepest of [the show’s] deep roots.”
Dietzen responded, “Well, I think you’ve got to honor everything. There are a lot of people. Those 1,000 episodes don’t happen without over 1,000 people working behind the scenes over the course of these 21 years, not just on our show, but on our sister shows as well.”
He expressed his gratitude to see former actors of the show honored.
“So I was really, really happy when I was reading this script to see some shout-outs to past characters that are no longer on the show and also past storylines that meant a lot to the fans and meant a lot to us as NCIS family members.”
He also gave a vague teaser about what’s to come for the season finale.
“As per usual with NCIS, it’s gonna leave a lot of people with their mouths wide open after the credits start to roll. I think everyone’s pretty… proud of what we put together,” he revealed.
Dietzen recently took to Instagram to share clips of memories with other cast members over the years and a sweet caption.
“1000 episodes. About a millions memories with some amazing friends. #NCIS has changed my life in so many ways. I’ve cherished the past 21 years, and love that we’ve had all of YOUR support. Thank you!” he wrote.
NCIS was just renewed for Season 22.
“NCIS has long been a cornerstone of the CBS scripted lineup,” Variety reported. “Per CBS, the series is still averaging 12.9 million multiplatform viewers, even this late in its run. The show serves as the foundation for a TV franchise that continues to pay off for CBS and parent company Paramount.”
Movieguide® previously reported:
As the NCIS franchise reaches 1,000 episodes, actor Wilmer Valderrama reflected on how the show got to where it is today and why he believes it remains relevant.
“I mean, it’s crazy to be at the tail end of [1,000 episodes], not the tail end, the last half of that, right,” Valderrama told CBS News. “You gotta pay tribute to the original cast that started this thing, you know, all the way from Mark Harmon, starting in JAG, right.”
“JAG had two episodes at the end of JAG, those last two episodes served as kind of like a semi-pilot for NCIS,” he explained. “Then, you know, they come full circle. Mark Harmon leads this beautiful ship and creates something very different on television, an acronym where people are like, ‘What is NCIS?’ And then now it’s undeniabl[y] one of the most recognizable letters you could see. And, you know, a thousand episodes later and it’s not slowing down. It’s still the number one show.”
Being the number one show has not come without an incredible effort. The plotlines, characters’ struggles and enemies NCIS is fighting have evolved, and the writers have used this change to keep the show fresh after 21 seasons.
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