NCIS: Origins Bosses Defend Need For Gibbs Prequel Despite Mark Harmon’s 19 Seasons Of Story

Showrunners David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal defend doing NCIS: Origins after Mark Harmon’s story as Leroy Jethro Gibbs played out for 19 years in the flagship project. CBS’ premier police procedural is not new to launching spinoffs. In over two decades on the air, it has launched several offshoots, including an international branch with NCIS: Sydney. This fall, however, NCIS is looking back for its very first prequel. The ’90s-set NCIS: Origins will tackle Gibbs’ earliest years in the agency. However, there are questions about whether it is actually needed.

In a new interview with TV Line, North and Monreal respond to the backlash about expanding Gibbs’ story when Harmon’s character already fronted the main NCIS show for almost two decades. The showrunners point out that certain aspects of his past will come to light in NCIS: Origins, particularly citing the start and development of his relationship with Mike Franks. Read their quotes below: