NCIS: Los Angeles

[Perdita]

Linda Hunt has joined the cast of NCIS: Los Angeles, reports Entertainment Weekly.

The Oscar-winning actress will reportedly join the spinoff as a series regular when it premieres this Fall.

Hunt will play an efficient and hard-nosed former film industry technician who now oversees the support staff.

"Nothing fazes her," said executive producer Shane Brennan. "But as tough as she might seem, she genuinely cares about Callen (Chris O'Donnell) and the team."

The actress will join the previously cast Louise Lombard, Peter Cambor and Daniela Ruah, as well as Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J.

Last month, CBS announced that it had picked up the spinoff as part of its 2009-10 season order.

[Perdita]

Sky1 has picked up the rights to NCIS: Los Angeles, it has been announced.

The spinoff of the popular naval drama, which stars LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell, premiered on CBS in the US last week with an impressive 18.3 million viewers.

"We're delighted to have acquired NCIS: Los Angeles from CBS Studios International, following its incredible success in the US," said Sarah Wright, head of acquisitions at Sky1. "It is a fast-paced, action-packed drama which we know our customers will love and will be a great addition to our existing acquisitions."

NCIS: Los Angeles launches Wednesday, October 21 on Sky1. The original series will continue to air on FX and Five.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a179910/sky1-acquires-rights-to-ncis-spinoff.html

[tammyy2j]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJO0u6XvQ2E

[tammyy2j]

Monet Mazur is joining the cast of NCIS: Los Angeles as a love interest for Chris O'Donnell.

Mazur (40 Days and 40 Nights) will play Natalie Buccola, a confident secret service agent who's taken with O'Donnell's Callen.

The role is potentially recurring and she'll make her first appearance on the NCIS spinoff in episode 6.

[lizann]

I liked NCIS so i will check this out

[tammyy2j]

Freshman drama NCIS: Los Angeles have been given full-season pickup, CBS announced on Wednesday.

[Perdita]

CSI and Law & Order are well-versed in creating successful spinoffs (let's try to forget Trial by Jury, shall we?) and now it's the turn of NCIS. And if the early signs are anything to go by, the show's new Los Angeles-set spinoff has a rosy future in sight. Since its debut to more than 18 million viewers in the US last month, NCIS: LA has gone on to rank as the number one new show of the season to date. With its UK debut on Sky1 now here, we hooked up with leading man Chris O'Donell for a chat about his role in the new show.

How would you describe your new show?
"NCIS: LA is a spin-off from NCIS. It’s set in a new city and it has a new cast – but we have the same light, witty banter and comedy they’ve achieved. The first show is special because it’s a procedural show with a comedic element, so we have that, but we’re also different because there’s a buddy element with the new characters that LL Cool J and I play. Our characters are very different to each other, but they’re also very similar and they drive each other crazy."

Were you a fan of the original NCIS series?
"I am a huge fan now, but I didn’t watch it when it first aired. I picked it up on reruns. I didn’t realise how popular the show was until we worked on some crossover episodes. After the crossover episodes aired in the US, people came up to me all over the country to say how much they love the show. Everywhere I travelled, people were going crazy and telling me how NCIS was their favourite show on television."

Why do you think the original show is so successful?
"A great group of people work on NCIS and I think it’s wonderful that they’re getting success and attention because they do good work. They have great chemistry and great banter, which works well together. Although the show is a procedural, there are always elements of it that remind me of Moonlighting. That’s so unusual in a procedural, but it’s great. It feels like they’ve been under the radar for a while, so it’s great to see them get some time in the spotlight."

How does it feel to be part of a spinoff show?
"I’m very excited to be part of a spinoff to a show as popular as NCIS because we’ve been fortunate enough to get a lot of their viewers tune into our show to check it out. It’s tough to get a show to work these days and it’s very gratifying to have people tuning in."

How is NCIS: LA different to NCIS?
"Hopefully NCIS: LA will be able to maintain the spirit of NCIS because I think that’s what people love about it. It’s a great procedural, but it also has a certain degree of comedy and really great characters – and that’s why you watch a show. I think that we focus on undercover work more than the other show and there are many little differences that you will notice as you watch it."

What can you tell us about your character in the show?
"I play G Callen in NCIS: LA, but I don’t know what the G stands for at the moment. I guess I’m going to find out at some point, but the writers are slowly revealing his character as we progress through the season. Callen is somebody who bounced around a lot of different foster homes when he was a kid, so he experienced a lot of different families and traditions. Ultimately, he’s a bit of a loner and the office of NCIS is his family now."

What can you tell us about the stunts in the show?
"I really enjoy working on the show’s stunts. We’ve had a couple of elaborate fight scenes, which have been fun to work on. I’ve got some bruises and my back acts up on me every once in a while, but I try to do as many stunts as possible. Usually, I get too over-eager and I jump in there, but then I realise that I might kill myself, so I stand aside for a stunt double."

Is it important for you to try out as many stunts as possible?
"I try to do as many stunts as possible because it looks better on screen, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. If you’ve got a stunt guy who is an unbelievable martial arts expert and that’s what the scene calls for, then I will stand aside."

What’s it like to fire a gun for the role?
"It’s crazy. You forget how powerful guns are until you fire one. They’re also extremely loud, but I’m alright as long as I’ve got my earplugs in."

You wear earplugs on the set?
"Sure. I jam earplugs way up in my ear so that you can’t see them – but they’re definitely there."

Isn’t that a bit embarrassing?
"I don’t care. To be honest, it was much more embarrassing the other day when I forgot to take off the huge earphones I wear over my ears when we rehearse scenes. I ran out of a building for the first take and the whole crew just stared at me blankly because I still had giant earphones on. We had to start all over again because of me, but thankfully mishaps don’t happen all the time."

NCIS: Los Angeles premieres tonight at 9pm on Sky1.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/interviews/a183012/chris-odonell-ncis-los-angeles.html

[tammyy2j]

Its been renewed for a second season by CBS

[tammyy2j]

NCIS: Los Angeles has been on the air for just five months and already it’s undergoing its first major shake-up: Original castmember Adam Jamal Craig is leaving the hit procedural. But when? Last night’s powerful episode — which revolved around the abduction of Craig’s special agent, Dom Vaile — left the character’s fate very much up in the air.

[Perdita]

With an all-star cast and a pretty solid link to a long-running procedural drama, NCIS: Los Angeles was always destined to be a success. Following an impressive premiere Stateside last year - 18.3 million viewers, don't you know - LA has landed a second run. Recently, we sent Digital Spy's California correspondent Adam Tanswell over to the set to have a word with rapper-singer-actor LL Cool J and find out what lies ahead for Special Agent Sam Hanna and the team.

For people who haven’t seen your show yet, how does NCIS: Los Angeles compare to the original NCIS?
"We're a spinoff of the original show, but we're based in the Office Of Special Projects, so we get to go undercover more and we deal with a lot of global threats. It's a different area of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. We try to maintain the wit, the banter and the humour of the original show, but there's a little more action and technology in NCIS: Los Angeles."

What’s been the feedback to the spinoff?
"Everyone seems to love the show, which is cool - and we're really excited that we've been picked up for a second season. It will take time for us to achieve the level of the chemistry that the original show has, but I think we'll be able to get there. I also think that we've attracted people who haven’t necessarily watched the original show. You can easily understand NCIS: LA if you haven't seen NCIS, which is a good thing. I'm really excited and I'm really happy to be part of something so good. I think we've been doing a great job and we just hope people enjoy it."

What’s been the most challenging aspect of shooting the show?
"The toughest part of working on a television show like this is that you don't get to rehearse too much compared to when you work on a movie. You get a better performance in a movie because you do rehearsals for a few weeks to get to know the characters. It can take three or four days to shoot one scene in a movie, but we'll do a few scenes every day. When we started this show, we didn't really know the characters or the world or anything. You walk your way through the show trying to figure out everything - but now it’s a whole lot easier. I'm settled and really enjoying myself – and I now know exactly what my character is all about."

Where do you hope your character Sam will be in two years?
"Hopefully, I'll be that much better as an actor in two years that I’ll be able to give a more truthful performance and my behavior will be more refined. In that respect, I think he'll be much more relaxed as a character. I also hope that I'm in great shape in two years so that I'm able to do more stunts and action scenes. I really enjoy that aspect of the show."

Do you have a stunt double?
"I do have a stunt double, but I like to do a lot of the stunts myself because I think that people should be able to see me doing it. As long as I'm not laying under a guillotine or getting kicked in the face by a horse, it will be me doing the stunts. I'll let the stunt guy do the bad stuff, but I like to do what I can."

A number of critics have compared your show to The A-Team. What do you make of that?
"Our show is funny and action-packed, so it's similar in that respect - but we're no way near as successful as something like The A-Team. It's funny you mention this because Rod Holcomb directed one of our episodes and I think he shot the pilot of The A-Team. He'd be a good person to ask this question to!"

How excited were you to hear that the show was renewed for a second season?
"Everyone was over the moon. It's great news. You know what? I don't think anyone knew what the original NCIS was going to become when it first started and we can only hope to be as successful. I hope that we can grow as a show and I hope that the world embraces the show and enjoys it. It certainly seems to be going that way, which is very exciting for us. We'll stay focused and humble and care about our work - and we'll have fun along the way, but there's a lot more to come from NCIS: LA. I very much look forward to growing with the show and giving it my best shot."

NCIS: Los Angeles returns to Sky1 in March.



DS

[tammyy2j]

NCIS: Los Angeles has upgraded Eric Christian Olsen to a series regular for the show's second season, CBS announced Tuesday.

Last season, Olsen recurred as Marty Deeks, a seasoned LAPD undercover detective who was recruited to the NCIS team. He'll appear in the two-hour season premiere.

"We are thrilled to have Eric join the cast," executive producer Shane Brennan said. "He has already proved himself to be a great asset and invaluable member of the team, and Eric's fans will be delighted to see what we have in store for him."

NCIS: Los Angeles returns Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 9/8c.

[Perdita]

NCIS: Los Angeles producer Shane Brennan has admitted that viewers will have to wait for answers relating to Callen's past.

It was revealed in the first season that a mysterious observer has been tracking the life of the special agent - played by Chris O'Donnell - since he was a child.

"The truth of what [Callen] finds out is startling," Brennan told TV Guide. "It's a mystery now and the further he goes down the rabbit hole, the deeper the mystery gets."

He explained that future episodes would instead shed light on Callen's boss Henrietta 'Hetty' Lange (Linda Hunt).

"There's a little moment at the very end of episode two that lifts the veil on Hetty," Brennan confirmed. "It's setting up something that comes later in the season that will be one of the most powerful episodes we do all season."

NCIS: Los Angeles will return to CBS on September 21

[tammyy2j]

NCIS: Los Angeles has made Renée Felice Smith a series regular, CBS announced Monday.

Smith joined the cast this season in the recurring role of intelligence analyst Nell Jones, whose shrewd insights made her an asset to the team.