When actor David McCallum died in September, it was a blow to fans who had watched him in movies and television for 70 years. But it may have been especially hard for fans of NCIS, one of the most popular TV shows of the last few years, who had seen him regularly over the last two decades playing the role of medical examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard. Fans, and the cast and crew, will now have a chance to say goodbye as a special tribute episode is set to air on February 19.
TVLine has revealed the date of the special NCIS episode, which will be the second episode of Season 21. In the episode, the NCIS team will learn of the death of Ducky and will reflect on their memories of him. The episode won’t just be some clip show, however. There will be some sort of case going on, that Ducky will actually play a part in solving. The episode is co-written by NCIS cast member Brian Dietzen, who first appeared as Ducky’s assistant in the first season of the show, and took over as medical examiner after McCallum transitioned into more of a guest star role during Season 16.
