Exclusive: NCIS Casts Young Abby for Origin Episode Full of ‘Prizes’ for Longtime Fans
How does one become a one-of-a-kind Goth technogeek like Abby Sciuto? CBS’ NCIS will explore that question with a February sweeps episode that flashes back to the character at the age of 10.
To that end, TVLine has learned that Brighton Sharbino — a recent guest star on The New Normal — will channel a younger Pauley Perrette.
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NCIS showrunner Gary Glasberg says he had asked himself, “What kind of origin story could we do with Abby that would be a little different? And rather than look back at her first days of working at NCIS, I was more interested in, ‘When did Abby first start develop an interest in forensics? And in people? In bodies, and in clues, things like that?’ So we decided to go way back.”
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Glasberg hails Sharbino (on the NCIS set in photo above) as a “terrific young actress” who has spent time hanging with Perrette, in part to pick up on the NCIS vet’s mannerisms and such.
And yes, you might also get the origin of Abby’s unique fashion sense.
“From clothing choices to her hair, how she carries herself, things that she says… there are lots of great little prizes in this episode,” Glasberg promises longtime fans.
Want more scoop on NCIS, or for any other show? Email mattmtvguy@gmail.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.
Oh, wow! That sounds like it could be very cool! :-) Hope whoever writes the episode remembers what Abby told Kate about how she got into forensics. :-)
Fantastic news. Can’t wait for this. The girl is the perfect choice. Her face looks a lot like Pauley’s. Couldn’t be happier with this season.
Oh…..Gary Glasberg!
Don’t believe him any word.
He is just layer and continuous “promise man”
What about Tony’s and Ziva’s scene in elevator?
Bla bla bla…”they emotionaly open each other”….bla bla bla…when?
Where is that “opening” scene Mr. Glasberg?
Or Mr. layer?
Firstly I think you mean the word “liar” instead of “layer”. Secondly, he isn’t. There was a lot of emotional opening up in the november sweeps for Tony and Ziva. And that there will be an Abby origin episode showing how her love for forensics started is a fact. Not a lie.
In elevator was nothing.
So many words about elevator scene and finaly…NOTHING!
Too many scenes in last parts was just boring and highly unlogic.
Check ratings…they go down.
Why?
For the best, I wish them end in season 11.
It will be good for every one.
I like that show from pilot parts, but last serie is brutal fail.
Ratings went up again plus more people DVR these days. These ratings count too now. NCIS still has more than 20 million viewers (live 7 +DVR ratings). It’s always on top of the list as the most watched scripted show in its 10th season. In addition to that the ratings went up again when “Gone” aired to over 19 million live viewers. I wouldn’t call that a fail.
Besides regularly having around 20 million viewers on a weekly basis, one has to remember that NCIS (on Repeat viewings) often has over 10 million viewers (more than alot of shows have on their FIRST RUN viewings). NCIS won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, unless the cast and crew grow tired of earning money.
Well put Mike. Add the good USA channel ratings to it plus international ratings… the show is a huge huge success and remains to be one…and that in its 10th season. It’s amazing.
Woah. Are you blind?
And/or deaf?
Do we even watch the same tv show?
These are the questions. Anyway… thank you Glasberg for the long awaited Abby’s backstory, I can’t wait for it *_*
Blind or deaf?
No.
Just unblinden fan.
When is my no.1 show go down, I just angry for responsible man (G.G.)
Are you possibly related to Yoda?
:)
How’d YOU read in, say, Mandarin or Swedish?
I think Tony and Ziva *have* been more open with each other this season, and I say that as a Tony/Ziva shipper. Tony told Ziva about going to movies with his mother; Ziva told Tony about Tali and opera. Tony is still nosy and jealous whenever he think Ziva has a special male friend but this time it seems more like he’s concerned and less like it’s pro forma.
I’m willing to wait for a few more episodes to see if this goes anywhere at last.
I love saying this to Tony and Ziva fanatics, but it’s particularly appropriate in the case of this story: NOT EVERYTHING is about Tony and Ziva!!!
Looking forward to this ep. Hope it’s as good as Tony’s origin episode was, as that’s one of my favs. Happy Abby is getting a little more focus this season.
I do wanna know how Abby and Gibbs and Tony first met though, I think that would be really cool in addition to Abby’s past
I can’t wait for this episode! It will be awesome to see more of Abby’s backstory! That will be awesome I am sure but I too would like to see the first Gibbs/Abby meeting as well as the first Abby/Tony meeting! :)
They have been a ‘tease group’ for many years. No one should take what any of the writers or directors say as gospel truth, you have to read between the lines. Too many fans take the teases too literally and then they build it up into something they think it will be, and when its aired differently they are disappointed. I don’t think Tiva will ever happen because it would ruin the show. I feel Tiva will be about their friendship and how it builds after a rather lot of rocky starts. To me they aren’t suited personality wise. Sexual tension doesn’t make for a permanent relationship. Once its done, its finished. If fans get tired of the show then they should stop whinging and stop watching it and move onto a show that makes them happy.
I am looking forward to this episode. Just another one that makes this show shine as bright as the sun.
I have to agree with you, Bellz; “tension” alone only gets you far..then it gets OLD. You cannot sell “tension” for the life of an aging series such as NCIS – I don’t care HOW much “money” the cast is earning. The Network earns even more, and the formula they’ve been using to market their brand to viewers is starting to grow stale. I truly feel ten years is plently long enough to keep NCIS legitmate, but one or two more years is pushing it. A good series always knows when it’s time to say goodbye, and with NCIS: LA stealing ALL the excitement & fun that NCIS USED to have, I think it would be wise for NCIS to “Hang it up” sooner than later, so that it can at least go out with dignity. CBS is relying VERY heavily on “Tiva tension” B-plot o keep the show interesting – and everyone (even the media) can tell that CBS is taking advantage of Tiva.
How is NCIS:LA stealing ALL the excitement? The cast has great chemistry and the writers are giving us good story lines. They all work hard to keep the viewer excited. To imply that this was somehow stolen from the original is just wrong.
No, it isn’t “wrong”. In MY opinion (and actually those of many others), it’s what I see, and I have a right to say whatever I want, and will continue to do so. “LA” IS more exciting these days IMO – latest episode is a perfect example – it was fantastic. Rather than jump to a conclusion which you have clearly not studied up on….go watch the episode and you’ll see what I mean. NCIS has become rather dry – but that’s not necessarily the actors’ fault; they do a fantastic job with the mediocre scripts they’re given. The way the show is being run is largely to blame. “LA” is being run much better than the Mothership; the scripts are far more exciting, and that’s just a simple fact.
NCIS LA is definitely run better than the mothership. Alas, there’s little or no real action in NCIS…DC. It feels like they can’t have the young generation be better than the Silver Fox. Sorry, but it’s looking less credible with Gibbs still leading an MCRT at his age. He should have a different position in which he’s still in charge of the runnings of NCIS HQ. Of course, provided he lets Vance keep his position as Director.
Can’t say I’m as interested as I used to be. Gibbs still has to be the lone leader as if the rest of his team come nowhere near his intelligence. Tony and Tim have to be on the show if only for comic relief. Ziva is the only one capable of kicking butt (the other team members apparently never learned any fighting techniques – we saw more when Tim and Kate had a wrestling match at the gym). Abby never grows up and is doomed to be an eternal child…and a super intelligent child at that! Compared to her, Tim probably never got his MA and BA degrees, one of which at one of the most prestigious colleges/unis – sorry if I don’t get it right what MIT is, I’m not from the US. Besides, he’s invariably the one left alone at his desk. Yep, his fingers are practically doing the most work… Jimmy or rather Brian, is trying hard to get a foot in…a bigger one, since he’s now regular cast. Ducky? He’s about the only constant and still doing his stuff in autopsy.
Sorry, not really looking forward to more child!Abby. I used to like her in the early seasons. Now? Meh.
Reblogged this on Bag Lady Boutique.
Abby backstory! At last!
I’m really liking this season of NCIS much more than the past two because the stories are spread out among all the cast, not just Gibbs, Tony and Vance.
Tony has been mostly in the background all season, and except for the Christmas ep, there are NO spoilers for any upcoming Tony focus. So tired of the same fans saying this. And Vance has been missing most of the season. And frankly,before last season, when Tony finanlly got a little focus, there hadn’t been any season with much Tony since S4. Sorry that every episode isn’t about “your” favorite, but it’s not all about Ziva for everyone. Some of us actually like the whole cast of characters.
I agree Kathi :) You can tell that NCIS is making more of an effort to “spread the wealth” amongst the ENTIRE cast – not just Tony & Gibbs, etc. We’ve had ENOUGH of Tony & Gibbs – their backstories have been explored to Death!! It’s nice to hear about Abby for a change. Next up: McGee!!! I can’t wait to meet his Dad – we’ve never heard about him, and it’s long overdue (almost too late, if you ask me, now that the series is winding down).
Too true…
Here’s another McGee fan feeling like he’s once again being left in the side lines. He’s regarded as nothing more than a piece of furniture. I’m sure Sean Murray is much better. He’s not really offered any chances and yet, he’s the one whose character has grown most of all from season 1 till… Well, now he’s stagnating. He’s just being kept in the shades.
I wonder when there’ll be the NCIS:Gibbs spin-off. It’s more evolving this way.
Frankly, I miss Don Belissario! He’s brought so many top-notch TV shows! Why coudn’t he keep NCIS?
I saw McGee’s dad on an episode a couple of days ago. He’s a 3 star admiral.
I’m looking forward to seeing Abby’s backstory! Can’t wait to find out how she became interested in forensics and what she must have been like as a child. :-)
LOVE NCIS! But they still need to step it up a gear this season and try and get back to the standard of episodes as good as ‘REQUIEM’, ‘CHIMERA’, ‘TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE’, ‘HEARTLAND’, ‘NORTH BY NORTHWEST’ to name but a few. Oh, and someone tell Dinozzo to cut out the jelly doughnuts!! He’s obviously stolen all of Mcgee’s weight from him!! Talk about role/weight reversal!!
Oops! i meant South by southwest! What a goofball!!! But that was a quality episode. Hope the Abby back story works out well!! The writers will have to check back through all the previous episodes to make sure everthing checks out with what Abs said about her childhood! :-) Remember the gaitors in her back yard etc!
This sounds great. I really hated the Vance ( as a teenager) show. I was hoping to see the Eli-Ziva reunion and it turned into a bad Vance hair show. I thought that was one of the worst written shows of NCIS and was extremely disappointed. Agreed that these shows can be extremly distracting but I thought that DiNozzo’s fire episode and hopefully this one will focus on topics that viewers are interested in and NCIS will hit it out of the park. I think they learned from the Vance ep though and will be more focused in this show.
I hope it does not change Abby – her character is pure perfection and I love her and the hippo!
I just wish they would let her grow up. The little girl routine has just gotten sad. I really love Abby but let her grow some. She actually acted more mature when the show started than she does now. I’ve always been more for getting her and Tim together than Tony and Ziva. Please get Abby out of her rut or at least get rid of the pigtails.
I completely agree with your comment that Abby needs to grow up, dress differently (quirky is good, but catholic schoolgirl goth has to go) and lose that little girl routine. It seems that all of the other characters have grown and evolved, but Abby is definitely in a rut.
Then it wouldn’t be Abby.
The last 2 episodes Abby has been PERFECT. I want whoever wrote those last two to write for Abby all the time. Quirky, caring, and funny Abby >>>>>>>>>>>> child like Abby.
Her scenes with Ziva has been especially great. So great that I actually really like Ziva now. Also keep with the Gibbs/Abby scenes. They make each other better imo. Love Gibbs when he’s around her.
Apart from the biological age difference it is hard to tell which Abby is which. A shame. The Abby we saw in the backdoor pilots and in the first two seasons was so grown-up. A real mature, sassy and sensual woman.
I’m not at all excited about this episode. It looks like it’s the same way Pauley Perrette got interested in forensics, and we know her story. It’s just going to be the same thing happening to Abby with a twist here and there. If we already basically know what’s going to happen, why should we be excited or even watch the episode?
She even looks like Abby.