NCIS: Origins: Everything We Know About CBS’ Young Gibbs Prequel Series
Who’s excited for NCIS: Origins? In anticipation of the CBS prequel — and Mark Harmon‘s return to the well-watched franchise — TVLine is breaking down everything you need to know about the newest NCIS series.
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In January 2024, CBS announced a straight-to-series order for the spinoff, which will be set in the early ’90s and follow a young version of Harmon’s longtime NCIS protagonist Leroy Jethro Gibbs as a new agent at the NCIS Camp Pendleton office. The show will chronicle Gibbs’ early career as he forges his own path on a team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks.
Mark Harmon will not appear in the series, but he will serve as its narrator as well as executive producer. His son, Sean Harmon, who has played Young Gibbs in NCIS flashbacks and came up with the idea for the prequel, will also be an EP alongside co-showrunners Gina Lucita Monreal and David J. North.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing this new chapter to life along with Mark and Sean Harmon,” Monreal and North said in a statement when the series was announced. “This really is the making of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. And even the most dedicated NCIS fans will discover that they don’t know the whole story.”
So read on to get all of your burning questions about NCIS: Origins answered, including the latest updates on characters, casting, the release date and where to watch new episodes.
When Will NCIS: Origins Take Place?
NCIS: Origins is winding back the clock to 1991, where we will visit the early life of Harmon’s longtime NCIS protagonist Gibbs. CBS announced that the series will follow Young Gibbs 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.”
Which NCIS Characters Will Appear in the Prequel?
So far, young versions of Harmon’s Gibbs, Muse Watson’s Mike Franks and Roma Maffia’s Vera Strickland have been confirmed to appear in the spinoff. While Harmon’s real-life son Sean Harmon (pictured above) has portrayed his dad’s character in the past, a new actor will be cast for the role in NCIS: Origins.
Which Characters Have Been Cast in NCIS: Origins?
For one, TVLine can confirm who won’t be in it: Sean Harmon and Ben Turner Dixon, who previously played Young Gibbs and Young Franks, respectively, in a handful of NCIS episodes over the years. CBS instead is opting to bring in new actors for those key roles, while Sean Harmon focuses on producing.
Case in point: Austin Stowell, whose TV credits include Secret Life of the American Teenager and Peacock’s A Friend of the Family, has been tapped to play Gibbs, beating out several TV vets (including a few named here).
In addition to NCIS: Origins finding its Mike Franks, casting is underway for an actress to play a young version of Roma Maffia’s Special Agent Strickland.
As for Mark Harmon himself? In addition to executive-producing the series, he will return to narrate the prequel. Mark of course starred on the original NCIS for its first 19 seasons, eventually making a dramatic exit in 2021.
When Will NCIS: Origins Be Released and Where Can I Watch It?
The NCIS prequel series is slated to premiere next fall on CBS. Episodes can be livestreamed on Paramount Plus for those who subscribe to the premium subscription with Showtime. For all other Paramount Plus subscribers, NCIS: Origins episodes can be streamed on-demand the day after they air.
Watch NCIS: Origins on Paramount Plus
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