The set of upcoming action-packed drama NCIS: Origins looks rather different to what long-running fans of the CBS franchise might be used to.
NCIS fans have been given a complete tour of the brand new set of upcoming prequel, NCIS: Origins.
The CBS spin-off centres on a young Leroy Jethro Gibbs, originally portrayed by Mark Harmon, with Austin Stowell stepping into the iconic role.
Also along for the ride is Kyle Schmid as NCIS legend Mike Franks and their teammate Special Agent Lala Dominguez (played by Mariel Molino).
The upcoming series is set to premiere this October and millions of fans are on tenterhooks to get their first taste of NCIS’s next (or rather, first) chapter.
They’ve now been given a complete tour of the set courtesy of TVLine, and there’s one glaring difference from the original series
While fans are used to the NCIS agents having access to top-of-the-range forensic equipment and high-tech crime analysis, none of this was available back in 1991 when the new prequel is set.
Instead, the original office looks much more like a standard police station, with just one computer of which it’s said “no agent quite knows how to operate”.
Plus, the investigation service won’t have gone digital yet, so there are typewriters and filing cabinets galore, with plenty of physical reports scattered around the agents’ desks.
Instead of nifty gadgets like tablets and smart tables, the team will have to keep track of their cases with print-outs and a bulletin board.
The team’s kitchen also looks delightfully old-fashioned and there are incredibly retro arcade machines and table football for them to enjoy in the breakroom.
Meanwhile, the forensics lab looks almost quaint compared to what Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard (David McCallum), Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) and Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) had to work with.
Caleb Martin Foote, who portrays Special Agent Benjamin ‘Randy’ Randolf in the spin-off, showed press around the autopsy room, which also looks very bare-bones compared to the 2010s and ‘20s seasons.
And, while the lab was filled with beakers and microscopes as usual, there was no high-tech equipment to be found and the space looks quite a bit smaller than what the modern technicians are used to.
Fans have also been given another closer look at Austin in action as Gibbs, who’s now being introduced as a rookie after years of fans knowing him as one of the NCIS’s top agents.
He’s wearing the classic baseball cap and jacket bearing the NCIS logo, marking him out as a new recruit.
Austin will be making his highly anticipated debut soon, on the same day the flagship series returns for its 22nd season.
NCIS: Origins and NCIS season 22 premiere Monday, October 14 on CBS. NCIS is available to stream on Disney+.