Long before Mark Harmon became television royalty as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS, the actor nearly led his own series in the mid-1970s — a little-known Emergency! spinoff that never made it past its pilot stage.
In 1975, a young Harmon appeared in a backdoor pilot titled “Wild,” playing Officer Dave Gordon, an animal control officer for Los Angeles County. The episode, directed by Emergency! co-creator Jack Webb, was designed to launch a new drama centered on animal rescue cases, from escaped wildlife to injured farm animals. Despite the popularity of Emergency!, the concept failed to gain traction with network executives.
The episode featured future cult favorite Albert Popwell as Harmon’s partner and even included a cameo from Harmon’s father, Tom Harmon, underscoring how early this project landed in the actor’s career. While the spinoff quietly disappeared, it gave Harmon valuable exposure at a pivotal moment.
