NCIS Star Brian Dietzen's Acting Debut Was On A Hit Show That's Impossible To Stream Today

Brian Dietzen's journey to "NCIS" began with "Boston Public," an Emmy-winning drama that has since been lost to time. 

Two years before his "NCIS" debut as medical examiner assistant Jimmy Palmer, Dietzen took his first-ever acting role as David Caplan in an episode of "Boston Public." "Boston Public" was created in 2000 by David E. Kelley — the producer responsible for "Ally McBeal" and "Doogie Howser, M.D." — and aired on the Fox network until 2006. The series followed the lives of fictional teachers within the Boston public school system. Dietzen made his "Boston Public" appearance in the Season 3 episode "Chapter Forty-Six," which explores the aftermath of a riot at the show's central Winslow High School. While specific details on Dietzen's "Boston Public" part remain elusive, the role seems to have been a minor one: Dietzen's David Caplan never appeared again outside of that episode.

Throughout its six-year run, "Boston Public" received attention for its willingness to highlight relevant societal issues in a nuanced fashion. The series earned a 2002 Peabody Award for a Season 2 episode that saw the Winslow faculty and student body discuss sensitive topics regarding race, additionally cinching a 2001 Emmy for Outstanding Art Direction for a Single Camera Series. Although "Boston Public" initially ran in syndication on TV One, it has since vanished from the airwaves entirely, and can no longer be found on streaming platforms or even on DVD.

According to Brian Dietzen, the role of Jimmy Palmer originally didn't look that much different from his short-lived appearance on "Boston Public."

"I was a one day guest star," Dietzen told journalist Paul Semel in a 2013 interview that touched on his initial 2004 casting on "NCIS." "But what's funny is that because it was just a one day job, I decided to make some really bold choices when I auditioned." Dietzen revealed that the "NCIS" team liked his audition enough to expand the one-off part of Jimmy Palmer "into a ten-year job," launching the actor into a career that he might never have accessed otherwise. "Had [the audition] been for a starring role, I would've had to test for the network, and if I had done that, I probably would've made different choices," the actor mused. "And I probably wouldn't have gotten the job."

Over 20 years and a series regular promotion later, Dietzen has made a wide range of onscreen and offscreen contributions to "NCIS": In addition to establishing Jimmy Palmer as a fan favorite, the actor co-wrote the Season 21 tribute episode to the late "NCIS" veteran David McCallum, garnering praise for his touching depictions of grief. "It feels very humbling to be a part of something so humongous, you know, and to have any small part in helping in its success," Dietzen said to Entertainment Weekly in a 2024 interview, discussing his diverse history at "NCIS."

"So yeah, it's incredible. It's definitely some 'pinch me" type of stuff.'