CBS has ordered NCIS: Origins, which is set in 1991 and follows a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Mark Harmon will narrate.
CBS is going straight to series on the show, which sees Gibbs as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office, where he forges his place on a ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks.
NCIS has had 20 seasons on CBS and spawned various spinoffs. Harmon played Leroy until he departed during season 19.
“We are elated and honored to continue the expansion of the NCIS universe in such a unique and unexpected way,” Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said. “Viewers can look forward to Mark Harmon returning to CBS to narrate the complex and mysterious backstory of Leroy Jethro Gibbs’s early years in NCIS: Origins, which will build on the rich legacy of this character while reintroducing fan-favorite characters and meeting new ones.”
Mark Harmon, Sean Harmon, David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal will executive produce, with North and Monreal co-writing the pilot and being the co-showrunners.
Sean Harmon is Mark’s son. He has played a young Leroy on NCIS.
“There’s no denying the cultural and global phenomenon of the NCIS franchise for the last 20 years,” David Stapf, president of CBS Studios, said. “When Sean and Mark approached us all with this exciting expansion of the universe — exploring a young Gibbs — we knew it was the next story that needed to be told. We also couldn’t be luckier to have Gina and David at the helm as co-showrunners who are not only brilliant and adept writers, but know this character and universe so well.”
North and Monreal wrote for NCIS for 10 years. “We’re thrilled to be bringing this new chapter to life along with Mark and Sean Harmon,” said North and Monreal. “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.”
NCIS: Origins is produced by CBS Studios.
“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 Harmon 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.”
