NCIS: NEW YORK will not make fans wait long for its first familiar face.
“We got one Jimmy Palmer popping up right away,” showrunner Byron Balasco told reporters about actor Brian Dietzen’s longtime medical examiner character. “Great guy, great actor.”
Dietzen will reprise Dr. Jimmy Palmer in the Oct. 6 series premiere, Deadline reported. The appearance gives the LL Cool J-led spinoff an immediate connection to the flagship NCIS while reuniting two characters who already share some unusually dangerous history.
Palmer and Special Agent Sam Hanna previously crossed paths in a three-series event involving NCIS, NCIS: LOS ANGELES and NCIS: HAWAI’I. The pair, along with Jane Tennant, wound up kidnapped in a black-ops holding cell, but Dietzen later said he had a blast sharing scenes with LL Cool J.
The reunion will unfold during a premiere built around a personal case for Sam. According to CBS Studios’ official synopsis, Sam returns to his hometown after his friend, Navy reservist Jack Halloway, is found dead.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robyn Wells pairs Sam with roguish agent Nick Schaeffer for the investigation. Schaeffer introduces him to agents Wyatt Sellers and Addy Ross, plus tech specialist Sean Sullivan, as the new team hunts for those responsible.
Related: NCIS’ Brian Dietzen Explains How 1000th Episode Honored ‘Everything’
LL Cool J returns as Sam after playing the agent for 14 seasons on NCIS: LOS ANGELES and making later appearances in NCIS and NCIS: HAWAI’I. Scott Caan plays Schaeffer, with Jennifer Beals as Wells, Shane Harper as Sellers, Jacqueline Byers as Ross and Devin Druid as Sullivan.
The cast gives the new series recognizable anchors without simply rebuilding one of its predecessors. CBS describes the New York field office as a team responsible for high-stakes missions protecting one of the world’s most important cities and ports.
Balasco said the writers want the spinoff to stand on its own while remembering what made the franchise stick for more than two decades.
“Our goal is to honor the franchise but make a show that can live on its own. That said, so much of the DNA of this show was family, and we’re all in the same universe, so you can absolutely expect to see some familiar faces coming over to hang out with us for a while,” he said.
That family quality helps explain why Palmer works as the first bridge. Dietzen’s character began as Dr. Donald Mallard’s assistant and gradually became the team’s chief medical examiner, confidant and one of NCIS’ steadiest sources of warmth.
Dietzen has played Palmer since NCIS’ first season, giving the crossover a bridge that reaches almost to the franchise’s beginning. That history gives the cameo extra weight. His appearance also comes on a packed CBS premiere night: NCIS returns at 8/7c, NCIS: NEW YORK follows at 9/8c and NCIS: ORIGINS airs at 10/9c.
Movieguide® has followed Dietzen’s return to the role before, including his cheerful behind-the-scenes welcome to Season 23. Now Jimmy’s next hello belongs to New York.
NCIS: NEW YORK premieres Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 9/8c on CBS. Paramount+ Premium subscribers can watch live and on demand, while Essential subscribers can stream the episode the following day.
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