Mark Harmon Returns to NCIS Universe in NCIS: ORIGINS
By Movieguide® Contributor
Mark Harmon will return to the NCIS universe in the spinoff series NCIS: ORIGINS.
The series is a prequel to the long-running drama and will shed some light on Leroy Gibbs’ history.
“NCIS: ORIGINS is really different than any of the other NCIS‘s; it makes me feel so old to say it’s period when it’s set in the ‘90s, kill me now, right?” said CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach.
“It’s a little edgier and grittier than previous NCIS‘s, it’s got a serialized element of it that we’re really excited about. And whereas I would say NCIS: SYDNEY too really had its own identity, it was very uniquely Australian and told stories that can only be told in Australia, so I feel like they’re both opportunities to gain new audiences while also being true to the DNA and loyal fan base of those shows,” she added.
Screenrant shared a synopsis of the spinoff:
“Set before the original entry in the long-running procedural crime-drama franchise, NCIS: ORIGINS takes place in the 1990s and follows a younger Leroy Gibbs at the beginning of his career. The series will focus more on Gibbs’ journey to becoming the star investigator he became in the original series and his relationships with past partners and colleagues.”
Both Harmon and his son Sean are involved in the series. NCIS writers and producers David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal will also help bring the new stories to life.
Movieguide® reported:
The NCIS saga will continue in the spinoff series NCIS: ORIGINS, which explores the backstory of Mark Harmon’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
Along with Gibbs, the series will dive into Mike Franks’ and Special Agent Vera Strickland’s stories.
“Narrated by Mark Harmon, NCIS: ORIGINS begins in 1991, years prior to the events of NCIS. In the new series, Gibbs starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks. (On the mothership series, Franks has been a recurring character played by Muse Watson. Franks was fatally stabbed in Season 8 but continued to appear to Gibbs when he needed a sounding board on hard cases),” Deadline reported.
“The idea of exploring Gibbs’ early years originated with Sean Harmon, who recurred on NCIS, playing the younger version of Mark Harmon’s character in seven episodes from 2008-2020. Along with his father, who starred as Gibbs on NCIS for more than 18 seasons, Harmon approached Monreal, North and CBS Studios about expanding the NCIS universe with a Gibbs-centered offshoot,” Deadline reported.
“The character of Gibbs has been an important part of my life for 20 years, both in watching my father craft the role and previously having the honor to play young Gibbs myself,” Sean said. “I always felt there was a tale worth telling about his earlier years, so I am thrilled to be stepping into a producing role alongside Gina, David and my dad as we tell this story and reveal a new side of this beloved character.”
NCIS: ORIGINS will premiere for the 2024-2025 broadcast season on CBS.
