How often does a fan-favorite TV face show up at a convention and instantly turn the conversation back to two different series at once? That was the effect when Catherine Bell appeared at Megacon in Orlando alongside her Good Witch co-stars James Denton and Bailee Madison, reconnecting with viewers who still associate her with both cozy fantasy and one of television’s enduring legal-military dramas. At 57, Bell drew renewed attention not only for her polished, familiar screen presence, but for the way her career continues to bridge generations of TV fans.
Bell’s connection to JAG from 1997 to 2005 remains a major part of that appeal. Her portrayal of Lt. Col. Sarah MacKenzie gave the series one of its defining characters, and the role still follows her years after the show ended. That staying power has only grown because the franchise’s influence never fully disappeared; NCIS grew out of JAG, turning Bell’s original series into part of a much larger television legacy. When she later returned as Mac in NCIS: Los Angeles in 2019, it reinforced how strongly audiences still responded to the character.
Bell has also been clear that her attachment to Good Witch never faded after the series ended in 2021. Speaking at Christmas Con in 2024, she said, “I miss the character. I miss the magic. I think we all were a bit surprised when it ended because we didn’t get the ending we would’ve wanted…We have not given up trying to get a movie made.” That quote continues to resonate because it speaks to a larger pattern in Bell’s career: many of her best-known roles became comfort-viewing staples, and viewers have been reluctant to let them go.
There is also a backstory to Bell’s rise that still feels unusually human. Before becoming central to JAG, she had appeared in the show’s first season as Diane Schonke, a very different character tied to Harm’s past. Bell later recalled that she wrote creator Don Bellisario a letter suggesting that Harm’s new partner could resemble the woman he had lost. She also described the financial stress surrounding that turning point, saying, “The night before I found out I got that role, I was crying at my dining table, looking at the stack of bills with my husband.” By the next morning, she had the call that changed her career.
That history helps explain why reunions involving Bell tend to generate more than nostalgia. They remind longtime viewers of a performer whose path was not smooth or guaranteed, and whose biggest roles kept expanding rather than disappearing. She moved from Army Wives from 2007 to 2013 into the long Good Witch run, while continuing to carry the goodwill of JAG fans who still talk openly about wanting more. Even an Instagram reunion photo with former castmates prompted renewed calls for a reboot, with fans reading it as more than a casual snapshot. For Bell, that kind of reaction has become part of the story. A convention appearance now functions less like a simple cast catch-up and more like a reminder that some television characters never fully leave the audience behind.
