‘NCIS’ Creator Sued CBS After Conflict With Mark Harmon
NCIS has been on television for well over 20 seasons. There have also been several spinoff shows and connected shows in the universe. However, NCIS creator Donald Bellisario only ran the show for four seasons and never had anything to do with the spinoffs. This was because of Mark Harmon, and it all resulted in a lawsuit.
Here is what happened to the original NCIS creator.
Why Did Mark Harmon Push Out NCIS Creator?
Donald Bellisario was a significant player in television production for many years. He wrote for the original Battlestar Galactica. He created Magnum, P.I., Airwolf, Quantum Leap, JAG, and NCIS. However, after NCIS, he ended up out of the industry thanks to a feud with Mark Harmon and a lawsuit against CBS.
Bellisario created NCIS as a backdoor spinoff of his other series, JAG. However, things started to go wrong on the new show due to his strained relationship with Harmon. According to many reports, Harmon was unhappy with Bellisario’s “chaotic management style” when producing and running a show.
This feud led Harmon to allegedly push to remove Bellisario from the show he created. The network appeared to take Harmon’s side and asked Donald to “step back” and “work from a distance” (via The Express). Instead of stepping back, Donald resigned from the show and then retired as an active showrunner.
This led to problems when NCIS began developing new TV shows, including NCIS: Los Angeles. Donald said his agreement when he was on NCIS was that he would have the first crack at any spinoff series, which didn’t happen. This led to Bellisario suing CBS.
What Happened With The NCIS Creator Lawsuit?
In April 2011, Donald filed a lawsuit against the network, alleging a breach of contract. He claimed he was owed millions from NCIS: Los Angeles. In the lawsuit, he also alleged that Mark Harmon pushed him out of his original job on the show he created.
The lawsuit never made it to court. Instead, the two sides settled in January 2013. No one knows what was in the settlement, as they made it confidential as part of the agreement between the two sides. “We consider him one of the best creative talents of his time and a valued member of the CBS family, whose shows, both past and present, have played an important role in CBS’ success,” the network said in a statement.
Despite his retirement and lawsuit, NCIS still lists him as an executive producer on the main show. He hasn’t been hands-on with it since 2007. His only other credits since leaving NCIS have been as producer and creator of the Quantum Leap reboot.
What are your thoughts on how the NCIS creator was pushed out, reportedly by Mark Harmon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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