New 'NCIS' Spinoff in Development

Credit: CBS

It looks like CBS might soon become The NCIS Channel.

Deadline reports that the network is planning to launch another spinoff of the NCIS franchise, with a special two-parter this spring to serve as a backdoor pilot. NCIS Executive Producer Gary Glasberg and series star Mark Harmon will serve as executive producers on the spinoff.

Here is the logline for the new series (via Entertainment Weekly): “The NCIS New Orleans office handles cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle. New Orleans with its rich setting of music, fun and debauchery is a magnet for military personnel on-leave. And with fun comes trouble. It is a natural backdrop for a unique character driven spin-off.”

Of course, while the NCIS franchise is one of CBS' most successful, the spinoff isn't a certainty for pick-up. Last spring, CBS developed the spinoff NCIS: RED. The pilot, starring John Corbett, was filmed but ultimately passed over for a series pickup for the 2013-2014 broadcast season. As for the existing shows in the franchise, the new seasons of NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles premiere tonight on CBS.