‘Law & Order In The Navy’: NCIS’ Original Pitch Was Nothing Like The Show It Ended Up Being

Back 20 years ago when NCIS first premiered on CBS, it was hard to imagine how the show could survive for 20 years and still be as entertaining as it was all those seasons ago. Today, however, the iconic series has been renewed for season 21, and with so many possibilities still to be explored, everyone is wondering what NCIS' formula for success is.

Series co-creators Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill, along with executive producer Mark Horowitz, would be the first to tell you how important it is not to get stuck on one idea or vision. Entertainment is fluid and dynamic, the field is always changing, and what seemed like a great idea yesterday may not work tomorrow.

In fact, NCIS itself hasn't always been the show viewers are used to. Though it follows the main principles of the procedural drama genre, mainly dealing with criminals one case at a time, the original pitch included the Department of the Navy's Office of the Judge Advocate General also convicting the criminals. Much like another hit franchise, run by NBC.

But as Mark Horowitz explained in a recent The Hollywood Reporter behind-the-scenes look at the iconic show, that idea didn't last long and wasn't the best format:

“The show was originally pitched as Law & Order in the Navy. First, there’d be some crime, and the NCIS agents would investigate it — the cops of the Navy — and then the JAG people would come in and try the case. Don [Bellisario] played with that idea for a little while, and then he just said, “We’re not going to do that. It’s going to be two completely separate shows.”

In fact, the daily work of the aforementioned department was already covered by another series written by Bellisario, JAG. Instead of repeating himself, the writer decided to turn NCIS into something more dynamic and action-based.

The franchise was born. Now including NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawaiʻi, and NCIS: Sydney, NCIS has surpassed its predecessor in both longevity and the amount of support it receives from viewers around the world. Would that be possible with the original structure pitched for the series? That will remain forever unknown.

If you want to watch the original NCIS series, you can stream all 20 seasons that have already aired on Netflix. Keep an eye out for more news and updates on an upcoming season.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter