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Gibbs is back! Mark Harmon will return to the NCIS universe, but not in the way that fans might expect. CBS has ordered a new NCIS prequel series that will focus on a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Harmon will serve as a narrator for the show, titled NCIS: Origins.

‘NCIS: Origins’ follows a young Gibbs as he starts his career

Mark Harmon as Gibbs, wearing a baseball cap, in 'NCIS'
Mark Harmon as NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs | CBS ©2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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NCIS: Origins begins in 1991 and will follow a young Gibbs as he starts his career as a newly minted special agent at NCIS Camp Pendleton. There, he forges his place on a ragtag team headed by NCIS legend Mike Franks.

The new show, which will air during the 2024-25 broadcast season, will be produced by Mark Harmon and his son Sean Harmon, who played a younger version of Gibbs on NCIS. David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal will also serve as executive producers, in addition to co-writing the premiere episode and serving as co-showrunners.

The new ‘NCIS’ spinoff will explore Gibbs’ ‘complex and mysterious backstory’

NCIS: Origins is a “unique and unexpected” expansion of the NCIS universe, CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach said in a statement.

“Viewers can look forward to Mark Harmon returning to CBS to narrate the complex and mysterious backstory of Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ early years in NCIS: Origins, which will build on the rich legacy of this character while reintroducing fan-favorite characters and meeting new ones,” she said.

Harmon starred in NCIS from 2003 to 2021. He and his son pitched the idea of a Gibbs-focused prequel to CBS. The network seized the opportunity to expand on the popular franchise.

“There’s no denying the cultural and global phenomenon of the NCIS franchise for the last 20 years,” said David Stapf, president of CBS Studios. “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.”

“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.”

‘NCIS: Origins’ is the fifth ‘NCIS’ spinoff

NCIS: Origins will be the fifth spinoff of NCIS (which is itself a spinoff of JAG). The first, NCIS: Los Angeles, premiered in 2009 and aired its series finale in May 2023. NCIS: New Orleans ran from 2014 to 2021.

NCIS: Hawai’i premiered in 2021. Season 3 will premiere in February 2024. NCIS: Sydney, the show’s first international spinoff, debuted on CBS in November 2023. Season 21 of NCIS will premiere Feb. 12 on CBS.

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