NCIS Origins to Honor David McCallum With The Edge Episode

NCIS Origins will honor the late David McCallum with a dedicated tribute episode in its forthcoming second season, CBS announced. The installment, titled The Edge, will bring Adam Campbell back as the younger Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard and follows the character as he is sent to Camp Pendleton to shadow the team while they work a case, a mission that leads to a reunion with a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played in the series by Austin Stowell.

Showrunners Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North said the episode was conceived as a way to pay homage to McCallum, who originated Ducky and portrayed him for 20 seasons on the flagship NCIS. "He was a beloved member of the NCIS family for so many years and we’re incredibly lucky to have the talented Adam Campbell back to bring the younger version of this iconic character to life once again," the producers said in a joint statement. They added that McCallum’s instrumental composition The Edge will be featured in the hour.

Campbell previously played the younger Ducky in four flashback appearances on NCIS, most recently in 2020, but this will be his first turn on the Origins prequel. The episode’s premise situates the character at a formative...