NCIS lands...Down Under!

G’day mates! As Gibbs prepares to bring his team to Oz, we investigate some of the show’s best-kept secrets

It’s arguably the world’s most-watched crime TV show, and next year Australian NCIS fans can rejoice as it’s finally arriving on our shores!

And no one is more excited than Australia’s home-grown talent, who are said to be scrambling to get a starring role in the legendary action drama after it was announced that the Aussie spin-off, titled NCIS: Sydney, will be released on Ten and its paid streaming service Paramount+ in early 2023 and will feature local stories as well as Australian actors and producers.

Perhaps most excitingly, the creator of the franchise’s most successful spin-off, NCIS: Los Angeles, Shane Brennan, who is an Aussie himself, will be at the helm.

While much is yet to be revealed about the show, production is set to commence later this year. To get us all excited for the local version, Woman’s Day has uncovered five of the biggest secrets from NCIS that you didn’t know!

1. Mark Harmon almost wasn’t cast!

It’s hard to picture NCIS without imagining actor Mark Harmon, who played the show’s team leader Leroy Jethro Gibbs for 18 seasons.

But when casting for the series, creator Donald P Bellisario had to be persuaded to try Mark as the lead, after seeing him in shows such as St Elsewhere and Chicago Hope.