This Tuesday at 8/7c, CBS’ NCIS kicks off a two-part trip to New Orleans, where it will introduce viewers to another team — one headed up by TV vet Scott Bakula — and hopefully pave the way for a new spin-off to premiere this fall. NCIS boss Gary Glasberg, who developed the prospective off-shoot with Mark Harmon, shared with TVLine a preview of the Big Easy adventure, as well as updated us on the status of the mothership’s Season 11 finale, which needed to shift gears in the wake of a real-life tragedy.

TVLINE | First, tell me the genesis of this spin-off idea. Am I right that it just started off as, “Hey, maybe we’ll set an episode in New Orleans…”?
I always sit down during hiatus and talk to Mr. Harmon about the ideas that I have for the coming season, and this started off as what was originally just going to be a sweeps two-parter. He looked at me and said, “We should do this as a spinoff,” and next thing I knew we were going in with a very colorful pitch that involved music and imagery and all kinds of stuff, and people got excited, and here we are.

TVLINE | When you talk about the music and imagery — and in the promos we see Bakula doing some form of an accent — is there a fine line to toe, between giving the episodes a distinct flavor and possibly brushing up against what some people might feel is parody?
I hope it doesn’t feel like parody. At the end of the day, the city of New Orleans is a huge part of what drew us to the idea and why we wanted to do it in the first place. We want to treat New Orleans like a character, and that was why we wanted to shoot on actual locations, and in the French Quarter, and really make an effort to depict it as best we could.

TVLINE | So if it goes to series, where are you going to film it?
You know, I’m not sure yet. It really comes down to the network and the studio and business, and there are lots and lots of influences. But I feel like no matter what, you have to spend a certain amount of time [filming] down there in order to make it work, in order to continue to inject the color and the flavor that we’re trying to capture in the story.

TVLINE | Now, who on Gibbs’ team Crescent Cityalready knows Bakula’s Agent Dwayne Cassius Pride?
It’s suggested that there’s a really strong tie that goes all the way back to Mike Franks. Gibbs and Pride were probies under Franks and a group of other agents — they were referred to as the Fed 5 — and this Agent McLane, who had become a Congressman since, ends up getting killed, and that’s the genesis of the story.

TVLINE | Who all goes on the field trip, who doesn’t and why?
A tremendous portion of this story happens in Washington, so I needed really significant anchors in both places. So Tony and McGee and Fornell and Vance hold down the fort in Washington, while Gibbs pulls Bishop along [to New Orleans].

TVLINE | What’s the bullet on the members of Pride’s team — Agents Christopher Lasalle and “Merri” Brody, and Dr. Loretta Wade?
Lasalle, played by Lucas Black, in my mind is kind of “Alabama’s Steve McQueen.” He handles himself with a fantastic degree of calm and ease, he’s terrific with the action Crescent Cityand he’s a lot of fun. Brody, played by Zoe McLellan (JAG), is confident and cool and direct and strong. CCH Pounder (The Shield) is just a natural [as Wade]. She comes onscreen and you listen to every word she says. And then to have Scott Bakula as Pride, with his appeal and warmth and fun…. I couldn’t honestly have asked for much more in terms of a group.

TVLINE | How would you say Pride differs from Gibbs?
Oh, they’re incredibly different. Pride doesn’t hide his feelings in any way. There’s no wall going on there in terms of what he’s thinking, what he wants to do. It’s all very much on the surface, and there’s an accessibility and a fun to him that Gibbs doesn’t show. So although, in theory, the characters kind of grew up at the same time, they’re very, very different people. Also, Pride is married and trying to work out some issues with his wife (Person of Interest‘s Paige Turco), which is very real in the world of NCIS.

TVLINE | Now looking ahead to May, how is the season finale shaping up? Last time we spoke, you thought it might be Tony-centric-ish. But then Ralph Waite passed….
You know what, the penultimate episode is a fantastic story for Tony that actually sends him to France, and we’re really excited about that. It’s sort of a Three Days of the Condor story that is action-packed and fun with lots of twists and turns. And that leads us into the finale, which I’m co-writing with Gina Monreal, and although it has a significant crime story happening, that honestly turns out to be our homage to Ralph Waite, to Jackson Gibbs. Mark has been talking about it and invested in it since the day we got the news, and it’s important to us to give Ralph Waite the farewell he deserves.

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NCIS will set the stage for its upcoming New Orleans-based spin-off on Tuesday’s episode (8/7c, CBS), the first of a two-parter that follows Gibbs (Mark Harmon) to the Big Easy. There, he teams up with his former colleague Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula) to investigate the murder of a former NCIS member who was Pride’s mentor.

“They were all together part of a group called the Fed 5, which was this very strong group of NCIS agents,” creator Gary Glasberg tells TVGuide.com. “This is really a look back at who and what they were as a team. … It was an opportunity to cast some really special actors to come in and help us, and have some fun with the folklore and the history of Gibbs.”

As previously announced, Bakula’s character will anchor the spin-off project and is based on the real-life D’Wayne Swear, an “eccentric, fantastic individual who ran the real office for almost 25 years” and is now serving as a creative consultant for the show, according to Glasberg. In fact, it was learning about Swear in his preliminary research that made Glasberg wonder whether he had an entirely new series on his hands.

“Last hiatus, I was talking to Mr. Harmon, as I always do, about story lines that I wanted to do in the coming season. I had learned that the office that’s in New Orleans is very small and unique and was run by a really unique individual in real life,” Glasberg explained. “And what started off as a sweeps episode quickly became a pilot pitch. We went in with sort of an elaborate pitch that included some music and all kinds of visuals, and really all about the city of New Orleans, kind of a love letter to the city. And the next thing I knew, here we are. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Should the new series get picked up, Glasberg said he hopes to fuse the strong military presence in New Orleans with the city’s vibrant cultural elements. “The base headquarters for Marine reserves is located in New Orleans, [and] you’ve got Naval air bases spread all over the Gulf,” he notes. “And that’s all part of the jurisdiction of this NCIS office. So, from a story standpoint, there’s a lot to do and a lot to draw off of. And then to have the added bonus of the color and fun and flavor and music and just the backdrop of New Orleans is just the icing on the cake for me as a writer.”

It’s unclear how much of the show would be shot in New Orleans going forward, but the backdoor pilot contains plenty of local flavor, according to Glasberg. Does that mean we’ll get to see Gibbs wearing Mardi Gras beads? (Doubtful, but one can hope.)

“We really made an effort in shooting there to capture iconic imagery, to include local music. All the musicians that you see on the street are local musicians, and then we incorporated their music into the show,” Glasberg says. “It was a lot of fun, because we were recording people on the street and using ambient sound. Just like when you’re walking down the street in New Orleans, in the French Quarter, and you just pause for a moment and listen, we really wanted to capture that kind of sound and bring people right there, and make it a part of every exterior that we filmed there. That kind of effort and that kind of tonal specificity is what we were trying to hold onto.”

NCIS airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on CBS. Would you watch a spin-off set in New Orleans?

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CBS’ NCIS has enlisted TV vet Kelli Williams to guest-star in an upcoming episode that will explore the issue of sexual assault in the Navy.

“It’s a really important episode for us,” showrunner Gary Glasberg tells TVLine of the installment, which has already been filmed and is now being edited. “I’m very pleased with how it’s turning out.”

Williams — whose previous TV credits include Army Wives, Lie to Me, Men in Trees and The Practice — plays an NCIS agent in the episode, which will be the second one to follow the imminent two-week NCIS: New Orleans planted spin-off (premiering this Tuesday at 8/7c).

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McGEE’S GIRLFRIEND DELILAH TURNS TO THE NCIS TEAM AFTER FINDING NEW EVIDENCE IN A CONTROVERSIAL CASE HER BOSSES CLOSED, ON “NCIS,” TUESDAY, APRIL 8

Margo Harshman Guest Stars as Delilah Fielding

“Page Not Found” – After returning to her job at the Department of Defense, McGee’s girlfriend Delilah finds a break in a controversial case, prompting her to turn to the NCIS team for help. Meanwhile, McGee talks to DiNozzo about whether he should ask Delilah to move in, on NCIS, Tuesday, April 8 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Margo Harshman guest stars as Delilah Fielding, McGee’s girlfriend.

CHEAT TWEET: McGee turns to DiNozzo for relationship advice while the team works with Delilah on a case #CBS #NCIS 4/8 8pm

I really enjoyed NCIS‘ 250th episode, but one person was noticeably absent — Vance! I couldn’t believe Rocky Carroll wasn’t in it. When will he be back? –Sandra
Rest assured that Vance will be back next week in “Crescent City, Part 1″ aka the opener of the two-part planted NCIS: New Orleans spin-off, for some integral scenes with Gibbs and Special Agent Pride (played by Scott Bakula).

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AFTER EVIDENCE INDICATES THERE IS A COPYCAT OF THE INFAMOUS PRIVILEGED KILLER, GIBBS, BISHOP AND THE LOCAL FIELD OFFICE CHASE LEADS IN NEW ORLEANS, ON THE CONCLUSION OF A TWO-PART EPISODE OF “NCIS,” TUESDAY, APRIL 1

Scott Bakula Guest Stars as Special Agent Dwayne Cassius Pride; Lucas Black Guest Stars as Special Agent Christopher Lasalle; Zoe McLellan Guest Stars as NCIS Special Agent Meredith “Merri” Brody; and CCH Pounder Guest Stars as Jefferson Parish Coroner Doctor Loretta Wade

“Crescent City: Part II” – Gibbs and Special Agent Pride chase leads in New Orleans after evidence points to a copycat of the infamous Privileged Killer. Meanwhile, Bishop sends DiNozzo a special souvenir from the Crescent City, as DiNozzo, McGee and the FBI continue to track political connections to the case from D.C., on the conclusion of a two-part episode of NCIS, Tuesday, April 1 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Scott Bakula guest stars as Special Agent Dwayne Cassius Pride; Lucas Black guest stars as Special Agent Christopher Lasalle; Zoe McLellan guest stars as NCIS Special Agent Meredith “Merri” Brody; and CCH Pounder guest stars as Jefferson Parish Coroner Doctor Loretta Wade.

CHEAT TWEET: Gibbs & Bishop join the New Orleans field office in the hunt for a copycat serial killer #NCIS 4/1 8pm #CBS

CBS ANNOUNCES RENEWALS FOR 18 PRIMETIME SHOWS FOR NEXT SEASON

Combined With Two Previously Announced Renewals, Network Has Now Picked Up 20 Returning Series for 2014-2015

Returning Series Will Include the #1 Drama, #1 Comedy, #1 New Comedy and #1 News Program

CBS, America’s most-watched network, today announced pick-ups for 18 series for next season. Combined with its previously announced pick-ups, CBS has now renewed 20 returning series for the 2014-2015 season, encompassing 17 hours of primetime programming.

“The best way to launch new shows in the fall and throughout the season is to surround them with a strong and stable lineup of successful series,” said Nina Tassler, Chairman of CBS Entertainment. “The shows we’re picking up today cut across every night of the week and feature genre leaders, time-period winners and the most-watched shows on broadcast television.”

The 18 series renewed today comprise 15.5 hours of CBS’s weekly primetime schedule and include nine dramas, five comedies, two reality series and two news programs.

The nine dramas picked up are: NCIS, television’s #1 drama/scripted program for the fifth consecutive year; NCIS: LOS ANGELES, the #2 drama for the fourth straight year; time-period winners Person Of Interest, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods; as well as Criminal Minds, Elementary and the acclaimed drama THE Good Wife. […]

Read the whole announcement here

GIBBS REUNITES WITH A FORMER COLLEAGUE WHEN THE MURDER OF A CONGRESSMAN IN NEW ORLEANS PROMPTS A JOINT CASE BETWEEN THE FIELD OFFICES AND THE FBI, ON PART ONE OF A TWO-PART EPISODE OF “NCIS,” TUESDAY, MARCH 25

Scott Bakula Guest Stars as Special Agent Dwayne Cassius Pride; Lucas Black Guest Stars as Special Agent Christopher Lasalle; Zoe McLellan Guest Stars as NCIS Special Agent Meredith “Merri” Brody; and CCH Pounder Guest Stars as Jefferson Parish Coroner Doctor Loretta Wade

“Crescent City” – When the body of Congressman Dan McLane, a former NCIS agent, washes ashore in New Orleans, Gibbs reunites with his former colleague, NCIS Special Agent Dwayne Cassius Pride, in a joint case between the two field offices and the FBI. The teams must work together to determine if the murder was politically based or linked to McLane’s most well-known case, the arrest of the Privileged Killer, a serial murderer who targeted military and public servants, on part one of a two-part episode of NCIS, Tuesday, March 25 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Scott Bakula guest stars as Special Agent Dwayne Cassius Price; Lucas Black guest stars as Special Agent Christopher Lasalle; Zoe McLellan guest stars as NCIS Special Agent Meredith “Merri” Brody; and CCH Pounder guest stars as Jefferson Parish Coroner Doctor Loretta Wade.

CHEAT TWEET: The murder of a Congressman in New Orleans reunites Gibbs w a former colleague in a joint #NCIS case w the FBI 3/25 #CBS

Did I hear right that NCIS‘ Ellie Bishop is married? Are there plans to meet the husband? –Jayne
Though he has no hard and fast timetable in place, NCIS boss Gary Glasberg told me, “At some point we’ll spend some time with her husband, but we wanted to introduce her first and let people connect with her and understand who she is first.”

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