A new NCIS spin-off has been greenlit – and it will focus on the early days of Mark Harmon's long-running character, Jethro Gibbs.

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The series – titled NCIS: Origins – will see a new actor play a younger version of the commanding officer, who was previously portrayed by Harmon in the first 19 seasons of the hit procedural between 2003 and 2021.

Harmon himself will narrate the action, while his son Sean – who also appeared as a younger version of Gibbs in various episodes of NCIS – is on board as a producer.

A logline for the show reveals that it will follow the character as he "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".

As yet, no actor has been cast to play Gibbs in the series, but the search is reportedly underway, while NCIS veterans Gina Lucita Monreal and David J North have been confirmed as co-showrunners for the series.

In a statement, Sean Harmon said he was "thrilled" to serve as a producer on the show, which will "reveal a new side of this beloved character".

"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 honour to play young Gibbs myself," he said, adding that he "always felt there was a tale worth telling about his earlier years".

LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 12: "Voices" -- An NCIS person of interest in a bribery and fraud case is found murdered after a runner is led to his body by a strange voice. Also, McGee and Delilah disagree on whether to find out the baby's sex or keep it a surprise, on NCIS, Tuesday, Nov. 14 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Emily Wickersham, Wilmer Valderramma, Mark Harmon, Rocky Carroll. (Photo by Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty Images) Getty, TL

Meanwhile, Monreal and North explained that the new chapter "really is the making of Leroy Jethro Gibbs" and teased that "even the most dedicated NCIS fans will discover that they don’t know the whole story".

The series is the latest in a long line of spin-offs from the hugely popular show, following the likes of NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans, while the original series is currently preparing to begin its 21st run on 12th February.

Read more:

The first 20 seasons of NCIS are available to stream on Disney Plus for UK viewers. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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Authors

Patrick Cremona, RadioTimes.com's senior film writer looking at the camera and smiling
Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.

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