For more than two decades, NCIS has been a television juggernaut, spinning off into multiple series and dominating ratings. But before Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his team ever cracked a case, there was JAG—the military legal drama that started it all. Now, two of its beloved stars are making a public push for the show to make a comeback.
Catherine Bell and Patrick Labyorteaux, who played Sarah “Mac” MacKenzie and Bud Roberts on the series, reunited at Big Lick Comic Con in Roanoke, Virginia, over the weekend. During a panel moderated by Collider’s Maggie Lovitt, the conversation turned to the enduring legacy of JAG and the possibility of a revival. Labyorteaux, who also starred in the original Little House on the Prairie, joked about the recent reboot of that classic show, saying, “What’s more surprising to me is that they haven’t brought JAG back! NCIS is still on! Have us on the show! We’re alive! We’re here!”
His enthusiasm was echoed by Bell, who expressed her love for the character and the world of JAG. “That was so great. It wasn’t exactly what the fans wanted to see, because you guys wanted to see Harm and Mac together by then, but it was still so great to put on that uniform and just be back in that world. I just loved that character and what she represented. It was really cool,” she said, referring to her guest appearance on NCIS: Los Angeles.
Both actors have made cameos in the NCIS universe over the years. Labyorteaux appeared in three episodes of the original series, while Bell popped up in three episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles. But fans have long hoped for a proper JAG reunion, especially for the unresolved romance between Harm and Mac.
Created by Donald P. Bellisario, JAG originally aired on NBC for one season before being canceled in 1996. CBS picked it up, and it ran for nine more seasons, ending in 2005. The series followed the lives of Navy lawyers, blending courtroom drama with military action. Its finale left the fate of Harm and Mac’s relationship hanging in the balance, with the two flipping a coin to decide who would leave the service. A 2019 episode of NCIS: Los Angeles revealed that Mac won the toss, but the couple’s story remained open-ended.
While a JAG reboot hasn’t been officially announced, the NCIS franchise continues to expand. This fall, NCIS returns with new episodes, featuring original star Michael Weatherly for the first time in a decade. A new spin-off, NCIS: New York, is also in the works, along with the prequel series NCIS: Origins, which will bring back Mark Harmon for a season-long arc.
For fans of JAG, the possibility of a revival remains a tantalizing prospect. As Labyorteaux put it, the stars are ready, willing, and very much alive. Whether the network will answer the call is another question, but the enthusiasm from the cast is undeniable.
Stay tuned for more updates on JAG and the ever-expanding NCIS universe. In the meantime, you can revisit the original series on streaming platforms and relive the drama that started it all.
