NCIS Executive Producer Reveals The Episode That Had Fans ‘Freaking Out,’ But Made Him Realize That The CBS Show Was ‘Going To Be Safe’

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As a dedicated fan who has seen countless shows come and go, I can confidently say that watching the evolution of NCIS over two decades is nothing short of extraordinary. The show’s longevity is a testament to its captivating storytelling and the passion it ignites in its viewers. Listening to Shane Brennan recount his experiences working on the series, particularly during the “Judgement Day” episodes, was both fascinating and enlightening.

Achieving a TV pilot and having it aired is tough enough, and maintaining it through its first season without cancellation is even more challenging. Continuing for multiple seasons? That’s quite difficult. But running for over two decades? That’s an exceptional accomplishment, which NCIS has managed to do on CBS. The series debuted in 2003 as a spinoff of JAG, and is now airing its 22nd season according to the 2024 TV schedule. Over the years, many actors and behind-the-scenes personnel have joined and left the show. Shane Brennan is one of those individuals, and as an executive producer, he recalled a specific episode that had NCIS fans excited, but also made him understand that the series was “secure.

Hey there! I recently dropped by the podcast “Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch” for a chat with none other than Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, who played Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David on NCIS, shows I had the pleasure of working on – not just once, but twice! We also talked about the first spinoff, NCIS: Los Angeles, which I had a hand in creating.

During Season 5 of NCIS, I anticipated that a significant event would unfold at the season finale, which was indeed Judgement Day Part 1 and 2. Since the episode aired on the East Coast, I realized the series was going to last for quite some time. As I was boarding a flight from LA to Australia during the break, CBS publicity contacted me in the airport lounge at LAX, informing me that the fan forum had erupted with 10,000 comments and most of them were critical. They claimed I’d fired everyone, and the new director had taken over, leading to a lot of questions about the show’s future. I assured them it would be alright.

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In the two-part episode of “Judgement Day,” which aired on May 20, 2008, the character Jenny Shepard, played by Lauren Holly and who had been the director of NCIS since Season 3, met her demise in the first part. What showrunner Shane Brennan is emphasizing, however, is a significant event that occurred at the end of the second part: Rocky Carroll’s character, Leon Vance, took over as director and dismantled Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ team by assigning Tony DiNozzo as a floating agent, transferring McGee to the cyber crime division, terminating Ziva’s liaison status and sending her back to Israel. Gibbs was handed a dossier with the names of his new team members, but it wasn’t until the Season 6 premiere that their identities were revealed. Interestingly, during the filming of this scene, Carroll was pranked by Mark Harmon.

The overwhelming response from fans online following the event grabbed the attention of CBS’ public relations team. However, the excitement didn’t end there as Shane Brennan went on to say:

After flying for 15 hours and landing in Melbourne, my phone lit up with around a dozen calls from publicity teams. I returned their calls to find out that there were approximately 50,000 comments on various platforms, causing quite a stir. They informed me that I needed to issue a statement. I pondered this, realizing that these 50,000 people had invested an hour of their time in watching TV and were so engaged that they took the time to comment, even if it was negative. This level of engagement told me that the show would have a long life ahead. As I knew what I was doing with my teasing tactics to provoke anger and keep viewers coming back, our viewership numbers continued to climb after this event. At that moment, I was confident that the show would be successful for years to come. Although I didn’t predict 22 seasons at the time, I thought it might last another ten years.

Without much delay, the team reunited in NCIS Season 6, and it was several months prior to that when Shane Brennan noticed the intense reactions from fans regarding the “Judgement Day” finale. This sparked his belief that the series would have a long run. However, as he admitted later, he never anticipated the show would still be on air today. Brennan served as an executive producer for NCIS until 2015, balancing his time during the last six years with NCIS: Los Angeles, which ran for an impressive 14 seasons.

Brennan continues to play a role in the NCIS universe, having created the series “NCIS: Sydney” that’s coming back for its second season on January 31, 2025. Like with the original show and “NCIS: Origins”, fresh episodes will debut first on CBS before they can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. Additionally, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo are set to lead the upcoming spinoff “NCIS: Tony & Ziva”, which will only be accessible through the same streaming service.

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2024-11-25 03:07