Is Mark Harmon headed back to “NCIS”?
Q: I’ve heard that Mark Harmon is coming back to “NCIS.” Is that true? – Jim George, Macon, Ga.
A: In a certain sense, though as of now, it’s not intended to be in an on-camera capacity. The actor who had a long run on the original series as Leroy Jethro Gibbs will be an executive producer — along with his son Sean — of “NCIS: Origins,” a prequel series that CBS has ordered for next season. Austin Stowell (“Whiplash,” 2014) will play the younger Gibbs, whose early phase as a special agent will be traced, with Kyle Schmid (“Six”) as his mentor Mike Franks (portrayed on the first show by recurring guest star Muse Watson). While it’s possible that Harmon could turn up in forward-flashing “Origins” sequences as the older Gibbs, no plans for that have been announced as of now. Even behind the scenes, though, having Harmon’s imprint on an “NCIS” venture is quite significant given his well-known ties to the overall franchise. That doesn’t have meaning only in terms of an American sale, but around the world, given the international popularity of the show (which only has been enhanced during the current TV season by the addition of “NCIS: Sydney”).
Q: Was the season premiere of “9-1-1” set aboard an overturned cruise ship, supposed to be a remake of “The Poseidon Adventure”? – Bill Robertson, via e-mail
A: It wasn’t meant as a literal remake of the film, especially since the show moved from Fox to ABC by working its newlywed characters Athena (Angela Bassett, “Black Panther,” 2018) and Bobby (Peter Krause, “Six Feet Under”) into that plot, but stars and producers of the series acknowledged that it was done as an homage to producer Irwin Allen’s 1972 disaster-movie classic.
It was close enough to the extent that the makers of “9-1-1” sought approval from the late Allen’s estate in staging the story, and they received that approval. In fact, some actual “Poseidon” scenes were worked into the “9-1-1” premise — and it wasn’t hard for any fan of the movie to recognize which moments were restaged by the series in tribute to what was done 50-plus years ago, resulting in a box-office blockbuster that effectively launched the disaster genre that spanned much of the 1970s.
Q: I’ll miss seeing Cecily Strong on “Schmigadoon!” now that it’s over. What else has she been doing since she left “Saturday Night Live”? – Joy Price, Dayton, Ohio
A: She recently ended the New York world-premiere stage run of “Brooklyn Laundry,” written and directed by John Patrick Shanley (“Moonstruck”). Strong played one of several sisters who all have problems with members of the opposite gender. (The male lead of the show was David Zayas, known for his co-starring role on “Dexter” among many other credits.)
Strong got some happy news of a personal nature during her stint in the play, since she got engaged, information she shared while appearing with one of her closest “Saturday Night Live” pals on his current NBC show “Late Night With Seth Meyers.” Soon, she’ll be heard voicing two characters in “The Garfield Movie,” alongside such other cast members as Chris Pratt (in the title role) and Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction,” 1994).