www.tvfanatic.comintervista a Gary Glasberg
CITAZIONE
The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!
That's what I told NCIS Executive Producer Gary Glasberg about the start of NCIS Season 12 since we've been hearing of some actors coming on board playing Russian characters, such as Lev Gorn as a Russian Deputy Ambassador and Alex Veadov as villain Sergei Michnev.
But with McGee and Gibbs in danger in the opener, what will that adventure mean for the season ahead? And now that we're a little further away from last year's emotional departure of Ziva, is Tony back out in the dating world again? And what else did we find out about the Ducky flashback episode with guest star Adam Campbell?
All that and more was discussed with Glasberg when we talked earlier this week...
TV Fanatic: What’s been the biggest surprise so far in the process with NCIS and NCIS: NOLA since you started production on both?
Gary Glasberg: I have to say it’s really been remarkably smooth, not to jinx it. I wouldn’t say there are surprises, it’s just that getting any show off the ground. There are realizations, there are ideas that come up, you learn things about actors and characters and people’s strengths and then on top of it you’ve got a very hands-on network that’s giving you notes and really wants this to work and succeed and you’re trying to keep all the balls in the air. So it’s not so much about being surprised as it is just the amount of work and participation and creative input. It’s keeping it all going and at the end of the day meeting that September 23rd launch date.
TVF: So the new NCIS season is, basically, the Russians are coming!
GG: Well, there’s certainly a lot politically going on in that part of the world right now and it was a storyline that I was kind of drawn to for the opener and I think we came up with something that certainly is super action packed and flips McGee and Gibbs in an interesting, different scenario and we’ll have to see where it leads throughout the season.
TVF: I’m curious why it’s McGee and Gibbs on this adventure. I love that it’s McGee but I guess if I were to guess I would’ve said Tony.
GG: We all know that the Gibbs-Tony combo is an extremely strong one and we always want to do a story that often sets them off on their own. At the same time it’s really nice to have Tony to anchor things back at headquarters when something significant is going on for Gibbs and Sean [Murray] has just been so fantastic.
Last season he was amazing, this season he’s been extraordinary. You know, it’s just fun to watch Sean and Mark [Harmon] work together and this was a really challenging episode that set them out there in the woods and, even with McGee’s Boy Scout training, which has been established, gave them something fun to play. So we had a good time. It was a tough episode to film but everybody had a good time making it.
TVF: Now that Ziva is in the past a little bit more, might Tony find love or be dating this season? I know it’s a very touchy subject with the diehards fans but I feel like I have to ask.
GG: Yeah, we really touch on it in the first few episodes of the season. Tony is a smart guy and went through a really difficult year and we wrote it as a difficult year last year and did a lot of soul-searching and now it’s time for him to get back to being Tony DiNozzo and I don’t think that even Ziva David would have argued that as a friend.
Tony is going to go out and have fun and play the field and be Tony. And his friends are going to acknowledge that and comment on it and we’re writing some fun stuff. It’s not so much about locking Tony down with another woman. It’s about Tony being Tony and that’s the part that people need to embrace.
TVF: I’m guessing once Stephanie Jacobsen shows up as Leia that people might start thinking that that could be a potential relationship.
GG: Yeah, she is one of several. So it’s us having fun with the idea that we’re going to see a little bit of the old Tony DiNozzo again and hopefully everybody will have a good time with that. I think they will, and we’re having fun with it from a casting standpoint, and Michael is too…I’m very pleased with where his character is and is going six, seven episodes into season 12.
TVF: What was your biggest surprise in doing the Ducky flashback episode? Especially once you got Adam Campbell involved, who just looks so much like David McCallum it’s scary?
GG: Yeah. I have to tell you, Adam was unbelievable. I just finished spotting that episode and the flashbacks, the cutting back and forth between David McCallum and Adam, the lightness, the fun, the energy, the cutting between time differences, it all worked out great, and Leslie Libman directed and did a really terrific job and I’m really excited about the episode. I think people are going to get a huge kick out of it and it explains some things about Ducky and about his background and about his reference to his mom and to the corgis and the bowties. It’s just chock full of goodness.
TVF: Talk to me about Bishop a little bit because now that audiences have gotten used to her, what’s in store for her this season? I know she’s a big part of the Ducky episode.
GG: Starting the season off is really about Bishop grounding herself more as an agent, finding a setting as a probationary agent with the agency, proving herself more and then she goes on this fantastic trip to London with Ducky and they connect. She’s very involved with the solving of that case and then along Thanksgiving will come and for our Thanksgiving episode you’re going to meet Jake, her husband, and we’ve got all kinds of plans for Jake.
TVF La stagione in arrivo si puo' riassumere come i Russi stanno arrivando.
Glasberg-Beh, in questo momento c'è sicuramente qualcosa di molto politico in corso in quella parte del mondo, ed è una storia che mi ha attratto per la premiere e e che porta McGee e Gibbs in uno scenario interessante e diverso e staremo a vedere dove portera' nel corso della stagione.
TVF Sono curioso del perché McGee e Gibbs in questa avventura. Mi piace che sia McGee, ma cse avessi dovuto indovinare indovinare avrei detto Tony.
Glasberg-Sappiamo tutti che la coppia Gibbs-Tony è estremamente forte e abbiamo sempre voluto fare una storia che li metta a confronto. Allo stesso tempo, è stato fantastico avere Tony a condurre le cose al quartier generale quando qualcosa di importante sta succedendo a Gibbs e Sean.
La scorsa stagione Tony è stato fantastico, in questa stagione sara' straordinario. E' stato divertente guardare Sean e Mark lavorare insieme e questo è stato un episodio davvero impegnativo da filmare, con Gibbs e McGee fuori nel bosco malgrado la formazione da Boy Scout di McGee.
TVF Ora che Ziva è sempre piu' nel passato, Tony potrebbe trovare l'amore in questa stagione? So che è un argomento molto delicato per i fans irriducibili, ma lo devo chiedere.
Glasberg- Sì, tocchiamo questo argomento nei primi episodi della stagione. Tony è un ragazzo intelligente e ha attraversato un anno davvero difficile dove ha fatto un sacco di ricerca interiore e ora è arrivato il momento per lui di tornare ad essere Tony DiNozzo.
Tony sta per uscire e divertirsi . Non si tratta tanto di impegnare Tony con un'altra donna, ma piuttosto del momento in cui Tony deve essere Tony Si tratta di Tony Tony di essere e che è la parte che la gente deve abbracciare.
TVF La gente potrebbe pensare che Stephanie Jacobsen che interpretera' Leia, potrebbe essere un rapporto potenziale.
Glasberg- Sì, lei è una delle tante. Quindi vedremo di nuovo un po' del vecchio Tony DiNozzo. Sono molto contento di dov'e' arrivato il suo personaggio e di dove andra' nei primi sei, sette episodi della 12° stagione.
TVF Qual è stata la tua più grande sorpresa nel fare l'episodio a flashback su Ducky? Soprattutto con Adam Campbell coinvolto che assomiglia a David McCallum in modo spaventoso spaventoso?
Glasberg- Già. Adam e' incredibile. Ho appena guardato quell'episodio e i flashback tra David McCallum e Adam, la leggerezza, il divertimento, l'energia, tutto ha funzionato alla grande, e Leslie Libman ha fatto davvero un ottimo lavoro e sono davvero entusiasta dell'episodio. Spiega alcune cose su Ducky, sul suo background e sulla sua relazione con la madre coi corgi e col papillon.
TVF Mi parli di Bishop, cosa c'è in serbo per lei in questa stagione? So che è molto importante nella puntata su Ducky.
Glasberg- All' avvio di stagione Bishop crescera' come agente, trovando un'assetto come agente in prova, mettendosi più alla prova e poi arriva questo fantastico viaggio a Londra con Ducky. Lei si impegna molto nella soluzione del caso e poi per il nostro episodio del Ringraziamento incontreremo Jake, suo marito, e abbiamo piani di tutti i tipi su Jake.
questo dev'essere un bell'episodio, a me Gibbs e la Borin a lavorare insieme piacciono un sacco.
