Throughout NCIS’ 23-season run, the CBS procedural has had a lot of guest stars gracing the halls of HQ. A lot of them were actors who were not quite stars yet, such as Zac Efron and Glen Powell, while others were already pretty big names, including Mark Harmon’s Freaky Friday co-star Jamie Lee Curtis. Bob Newhart is also on this impressive list, but he did more than just guest star. He gave Mark Harmon an F-bomb-laced piece of advice, too.
The late great Bob Newhart guest starred in Season 8, Episode 12, “Recruited,” back in 2011. He portrayed Dr. Walter Magnus, a retired chief medical examiner who trained and mentored Ducky. He was only in one episode, but he left a mark on the show and is one of the greatest NCIS guest stars. He also made quite the impact behind the scenes too, as executive producer Scott Williams recalled the advice he gave Mark Harmon on the NCIS: Partners & Probies podcast:
Newhart leaned over to Harmon at one point, and he just said, he goes — and in that very halting Bob Newhart sort of like [way] — ‘Uh, hey, Mark, can I give you some advice?’ He’s like, ‘Sure, Bob, what is it?’ He goes, ‘Ride this fucker into the ground.' And I heard that. He goes, ‘Jobs don’t get better than this. You will miss this when it’s gone. Seriously, this is like, you’ve struck gold here.'
Newhart would know. The comedian had two very successful programs that ran for well over 100 episodes: The Bob Newhart Show and the subsequent Newhart. (The latter of which had one of the most memorable TV endings of all time.) Still, the fact that Newhart said that during Season 8, and now the show is gearing up for its 24th season, is mind-blowing.
Ultimately, Mark Harmon hasn't been on board this specific train this the entire time, as he departed as Leroy Jethro Gibbs at the beginning of Season 19, but technically, he still followed Newhart’s advice. He has since become an executive producer and narrator on NCIS: Origins, where he has appeared on-screen a few times. He is also set to be in all of Origins’ third season this fall. So, he is still very much riding not just the show but the franchise "into the ground."
However, Harmon is not the only one who took Newhart’s advice. Williams admitted that his perspective about NCIS changed when he heard it too. To this day, the NCIS franchise remains a worldwide phenomenon and a very successful television franchise. Williams credits Newhart for the inspiration, and it’s made me love NCIS even more:
When I heard that, I was like, ‘I am gonna do what Bob [said] — if they’ll have me, I’ll ride this fucker as far as it’ll take me.’ So, to me, it’s like, ‘We just keep going, and we keep recreating with new characters.’ …. But yeah, that inspired me. So, thanks, Bob Newhart, for sending that to me.
Despite the prescient advice, I don't think anyone could have predicted during Season 8 that NCIS would still be going on 15 years later -- and with even more spinoffs added to the lineup. Clearly, they really are doing exactly what the comedic legend urged them to do.
While NCIS is returning for Season 24, along with three spinoffs, during the 2026-2027 season, it’s hard to tell just how much longer the franchise will run. As of now, there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight, so perhaps Williams really is riding it until he no longer can. CBS has not announced when the new seasons will premiere, but the first 23 can be watched with a Paramount+ subscription.
