Once a fan favorite, NCIS is struggling in the ratings – and original star Mark Harmon may be planning a big comeback to revive the aging series.
The long-running drama about Navy investigators has been on air since 2003, but without its beloved original cast – including quirky Pauley Perrette, Michael Weatherly, and Harmon as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs – audiences are losing interest.
For five straight seasons starting in 2009, NCIS dominated as TV’s top scripted show, even outpacing American Idol and Sunday Night Football. But those glory days are gone. The series has slipped out of the top 10, and producers recently shifted it from Monday nights to Tuesdays in a bid to stop the ratings slide.
Harmon, whose career exploded with NCIS after modest film roles and a short-lived big-screen break in The Presidio with Sean Connery and Meg Ryan, has a lot invested in the show. Now, the question is: can his return bring back the magic – or is it too late for a revival?
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