Could we get a long-overdue crossover between JAG and NCIS? One of the former show’s stars has spoken up on the chances!
We’ve become so used to NCIS as a long-running hit show that’s spawned numerous spinoffs, that it’s easy to forget NCIS was a spinoff itself. It was introduced in the eighth season of JAG, CBS’s successful military legal show.
The series revolved around Harmon Rabb (David James Elliott) a military lawyer often working with Sarah “Mac” Mackenzie (Catherine Bell) in various legal cases involving the military. The show had a great time teasing the relationship between the pair as a serious “will they or won’t they” dynamic.
JAG ended its run in 2005 just as NCIS was taking off as a hit. For a long while, NCIS basically ignored its parent series until NCIS: Los Angeles brought back Harm and Mac for a storyline in season 10. Sadly for fans, it was revealed the pair had briefly dated but split up, although hints they could come together again.
So, with NCIS still going on with other shows, is there a chance we can see Harm and Rabb return?
David James Elliott speaks on possible NCIS return
Speaking to TV Insider, David James Elliott (currently starring in Syfy’s Revival series) was up front on "I don’t see that happening” when it comes to a return as Harm.
Elliott went on to explain that the NCIS: Los Angeles appearance was really a favor to an old friend more than a full-fledged return for Harm. However, he hinted that if the opportunity came, he would be open to it.
“I did that because of R. Scott Gemmill, who was a writer in the first two seasons of JAG on the show, and then he left and he ran ER, and he then of course ran NCIS: LA, and he’s still a friend of mine. I pitched an idea to him, and he liked it. We were talking about maybe taking the Harm character and doing something with him or similar to [it], and then he goes, ‘Yeah, but why don’t we do this?’ And I went, ‘Oh, great. It was fun. It’s fun to work with him. I don’t really know any of the people on NCIS, but I guess if they came to me, I certainly would consider it. So who knows.”
It would be interesting to bring Harm or Mac back, although it’s tricky to see how it would happen. An obvious idea would be for one of them to represent someone the NCIS team is investigating, and perhaps some clashes with the team.
An issue is that it might just be a cameo for a cameo’s sake rather than serve the story. The fact that NCIS has barely referenced JAG over its long run would make an appearance more confusing to newer fans. Perhaps for an anniversary episode of some sort, they can work the pair in, but otherwise, it would seem just fan service.
Thus, there are no plans now for any return of the JAG crew to NCIS, yet there is always a chance it could happen down the line.
NCIS and JAG streaming on Paramount+.
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