Is NCIS facing cancellation? One report says the ratings juggernaut may not survive because Wilmer Valderrama plans to follow Mark Harmon out the door. Gossip Cop investigates.
‘NCIS Springs Major Leak!’
According to the Globe, NCIS is in a death spiral without Mark Harmon’s Jethro Gibbs. The former titan of television is experiencing a ratings plunge, an anonymous show source says, and there are fears Wilmer Valderrama is about to make things a whole lot worse by following suit and leaving the show.
The insider says, “I’ve never seen a show in such disarray… it seems like everything that can go wrong has gone wrong.” Viewers are reportedly rejecting Harmon’s replacement Gary Cole. Valderrama, on the other hand, joined the series in 2016 and his five-year contract is set to expire. The actor recently landed a starring role and executive producer position for a Zorro series on Disney+, sparking fears he’s putting the struggling NCIS in his rearview.
“A lot of people don’t think the show could survive another loss like that,” the source says, concluding that it appears the series is doomed.
Is Wilmer Valderrama Leaving ‘NCIS’?
Every so often a story comes out which is just transparently false. This is one of those stories. NCIS is still CBS’ bread and butter, with or without Mark Harmon. The network just renewed not only the flagship series but also spin-offs NCIS: Hawai’i and NCIS: Los Angeles. This will be the original series’ 20th season, tying it with Gunsmoke for the third-longest-running primetime American drama series ever.
Since the future of NCIS is not in doubt, this story is completely false. Wilmer Valderrama doesn’t have nearly the same impact on the show Harmon or Pauley Perrette did, and the show has survived their exits. If Valderrama does decide to move on to bigger and better things, it would not mean the end of the series. Drama series like NCIS don’t survive for 20 seasons without adding a new character or two.
Other Tall ‘NCIS’ Tales
The Globe has it out for NCIS. it claimed Harmon personally canceled NCIS: New Orleans over some bizarre grudge with Scott Bakula. As an executive producer, Harmon had a financial stake in the spin-off’s success. It was canceled to make way for NCIS: Hawai’i, not over some made-up beef.
This tabloid also claimed Harmon was quitting the show in 2019, but that obviously didn’t happen. It later christened Harmon a moody monster on the set. Now it’s suddenly crediting him as the sole reason for the show’s success. This tabloid is consistently wrong and should not be trusted.