More than two decades after first being introduced on NCIS, Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) is now getting a much fuller backstory thanks to prequel NCIS: Origins, following a younger Gibbs (Austin Stowell) as he begins his career under Mike Franks (Kyle Schmid) and processes the trauma he’s endured.
Awards Buzz spoke with David J. North, who serves as showrunner along with Gina Lucita Monreal, about the longstanding relationship he’s had with the franchise and how it feels to be delivering a weekly procedural in 2025. Watch the video above to hear about how he works to balance exploring Gibbs’ difficult past with ensuring a more lighthearted and entertaining tone.
New episodes of NCIS: Origins premiere Monday nights at 10pm on CBS.
