CBS executives weren’t just crunching numbers back then; they were biting their nails. At the height of NCIS mania, when Mark Harmon’s Gibbs had basically achieved TV legend status, a brewing controversy had the network’s top brass secretly sweating.

Mark Harmon in NCIS | Credits: CBS Studios

What if the off-screen drama spilled onto the set and derailed their crown jewel? The thought of losing Harmon — or worse, watching the show unravel — was the kind of headache no one wanted. Behind the scenes, it was all hands on deck to keep the ship steady.

From panic to powerhouse: How NCIS survived the Mark Harmon shake-up Mark Harmon in NCIS | Credits: CBS Studios

Behind the polished success of CBS’s NCIS lies a story of quiet panic among network execs. The hit series, once dubbed TV’s underdog, was drawing record-breaking numbers in its sixth season. But a behind-the-scenes...