NCIS Nears 1,000 Episodes: ‘A Real Miracle’
By Movieguide® Contributor
NCIS is one of the longest-running television series, and the franchise is about to reach its 1,000th episode.
Sean Murray, who plays Timothy McGee, told TV Insider, “Reaching 1,000 episodes for the franchise was insane, and, by the way, I’m pointing out that almost 500 of those are just us. I just have to throw that out there because I’m proud of that.”
“It’s unreal. We had a lot of people asking what it was like, and I kept kind of shaking my head because it’s really unfathomable,” he added. “Shows are not supposed to go 21 years. It’s a miracle to get picked up. It’s a miracle to go past one year…It’s a real miracle if you go five years. It’s an insane thing.”
He explained that after 21 years, they’ve had to rebuild their permanent sets because things have fallen apart. “Chairs that were brand new when we started the series, these beautiful $1000 conference room chairs are falling apart like crazy because we’re in year 21, so we’re having to replace a lot of that stuff,” he explained.
Fans can expect a lot of exciting details in the milestone episode.
“My favorite thing of what we’ve done in the 1,000th episode is we have got little Easter eggs and things hidden all through the episode—and not even just hidden. We call back to a lot of things, but it’s a little hard to describe,” Murray said.
“You’re going to see things that tip-off to old episodes, famous episodes that we did. Little moments,” he added. “We have characters come back that we haven’t seen in a very long time.”
Some guest appearances include NCIS: LOS ANGELES alum Daniela Ruah (Special Agent Kensi Blye) and NCIS: HAWAII’s Vanessa Lachey (Special Agent Jane Tennant). Joe Spano will reprise his role Tobias Fornell.
“We wrote what we believe is a very special episode,” co-showrunner David North said. “It’s a tribute to not just this NCIS, the OG NCIS, but all the series that have been launched. In it, we’ll find that one of our own, our most beloved, long-running characters, will be in grave danger, but we’ll also pay tribute to, as I said, all the other series. I think it’s one that the fans are going to really love.”
The episode will air on April 15 on CBS at 9 p.m. ET.
Movieguide® previously reported:
NCIS’ 1000th episode is on its way, and the franchise is celebrating the milestone with some special guest appearances.
Daniela Ruah, who played special agent Kensi Blye on NCIS: LOS ANGELS, will make an appearance, as well as actress Vanessa Lachey, who plays special agent Jane Tennant on NCIS: HAWAI’I.
“If I get asked [to play Kensi again], I will certainly figure it out at the time,” Ruah previously told TVLine. “If it makes sense, why not, right?”
Steven D. Binder, a showrunner on the series, shared his thoughts on the upcoming 1000th episode.
“It will be especially enjoyable for people who’ve been there from the very beginning I think,” he told PARADE. “We really wanted to capture the history from episode one on up. There’s going to be a lot of Easter eggs in the show, too, visual Easter eggs, auditory Easter eggs for longtime fans to look around and be like, ‘Oh, there’s whatever.’”
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
