NCIS star Brian Dietzen has shared an exciting update on the production of season 21.
Taking to Instagram, the actor, who plays Dr Jimmy Palmer in the CBS drama, seemingly confirmed that filming has begun on the upcoming episodes.
Sharing a photo of his character's iconic glasses, he penned in the caption: "Hello world. I'm putting these on now. #NCIS #Season21 #JimmyPalmer."
Fans rushed to the comments to share their delight, with one person writing: "Yes!! Welcome back, Dr Palmer," while another added: "Yay!!!! Welcome back Jimmy. We've missed you all."
A third person penned: "Happy to have you back!"
Fans won't have to wait too long until the new series arrives on screens as season 21 is set to premiere on CBS on February 12 at 9pm. It will be followed by the first episode of NCIS: Hawai'i season three, which will air at 10pm.
© CBS Photo ArchiveThe news was announced on the franchise's official Instagram page in a statement that read: "The countdown starts NOW — #NCIS Season 21 and #NCISHawaii Season 3 premiere February 12 on @cbstv. We can't wait to see you there!"
So, what can fans expect from season 21?
While the show has remained tight-lipped about the storylines in the new series, we can expect to see most of the main cast reprise their roles. This includes Brian as Jimmy, Sean Murray as Special Agent Timothy McGee, Wilmer Valderrama as Special Agent Nick Torres, Katrina Law as Special Agent Jessica Knight, Gary Cole as Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker, Diona Reasonover as Forensic Specialist Kasie Hines and Rocky Carroll as NCIS Director Leon Vance.
One character who sadly won't be returning is Donald "Ducky" Mallard, who was played by the late David McCallum. The actor sadly passed away on 25 September.
© CBS Photo ArchiveThe show is set to pay tribute to David in the upcoming series. Brian confirmed this while responding to a fan on X.
Replying to a viewer who penned: "I simply hope for a chapter in honor of David McCallum," Brian wrote: "There will be."
While fans wait for the new series, they can enjoy the franchise's brand new spin-off drama, NCIS: Sydney, which sees a group of NCIS agents and the Australian Federal Police join forces to keep naval crimes at bay in Sydney, Australia.
© Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+For those who have yet to catch up with the series, it follows Special Agent Michelle Mackey, and her second in command, Australian Sergeant Jim "JD" Dempsey.
The official synopsis reads: "With rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, a brilliant and eclectic team of U.S. NCIS agents and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are grafted into a multinational taskforce to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet. Our team of Americans and Aussies must quickly learn to trust each other, overcoming and harnessing their differences to solve each case."
