One of the upcoming fall TV season’s most anticipated new shows will be arriving on CBS: “NCIS: New York.”
Not only will the new spinoff mark the return of “NCIS: Los Angeles” veteran LL Cool J to the “NCIS” franchise, the series will bring in another former star of a CBS hit: Scott Caan, who played Det. Danny “Danno Williams in 10 seasons of “Hawaii Five-0.”
Jennifer Beals Has Been Cast in ‘NCIS: New York’
GettyAs the show draws closer to production, casting is underway. On that front, CBS has announced that “Flashdance” star Jennifer Beals has signed on as a series regular.
In addition, reports The Hollywood Reporter, three other actors have been cast in the upcoming series: Jacqueline Byers (“Dark Winds”), Shane Harper (“Power Book IV: Force”) and Devin Druid (“13 Reasons Why”).
Beals will play Robyn Wells, head of the NYC NCIS field office, described as “an intuitive, respected leader.”
Byers has been cast as Addison “Addy” Ross, an NCIS agent “with something to prove.” Harper will play Wyatt Hill, a field agent and “hopeless romantic,” while Druid rounds out the cast as Sean Sullivan, the team’s tech specialist, whose brilliance is matched only by his disregard for authority.
LL Cool J Reprises His ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ Role
Fans of the franchise have been thrilled to learn that LL Cool J will be reprising Sam Hanna, the character he played for 14 seasons on “NCIS: Los Angeles” (and, lest anyone forget, on a single season of “NCIS: Hawaii”).
According to the series’ synopsis, Hanna “returns to his hometown of New York City to their field office, partnering with a roguish agent (Caan) and helping lead a new team as they are tasked with high-stakes missions to defend one of the most vital cities and ports in the world.”
The New Spinoff Will Place Sam Hanna in a Different Context
In an interview with Parade, LL Cool J — who’s also one of the show’s producers — discussed reviving the character he’s played for so many years, explaining how this new series will showcase some different shades.
“Sam Hanna is Sam Hanna, but the thing that’s different is the context,” he said. “You’re going to be surrounded with New York energy, put him in a New York environment with the New York electricity and you get a different guy. It’s like 1 + 3 is four, and 5 − 1 is 4, and 3 + 1 is 4, but it’s still 4, so you’re still going to have Sam, just in a different situation.”
For the rapper-turned-action hero, one big bonus involved in this new venture is that fact that it’s filmed on location in New York City, his hometown.
“I get to go coast to coast,” he explained. “I get to go back home. I’m from New York, born and raised. For me, what’s better than going home?”
‘NCIS: New York’ Will Join the CBS Lineup Come Fall.
“NCIS: New York” is scheduled to debut this fall. The new spinoff air Tuesdays at 9 p.m., wedged between “NCIS” at 8 p.m. and “NCIS: Origins” at 10 p.m.
