Mark Harmon has been the heart and soul of CBS' NCIS for sixteen seasons, and while that doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon, the actor is getting involved in another project that may appear on the network. Harmon is involved in the development of a crime drama project that is based on novels from acclaimed author John Sandford. If the development goes as planned, the world will eventually see a television adaptation of the popular Prey novels.
The Prey project, if given a series order, would bring yet another crime drama to the CBS network. THR reported the plot would follow Minneapolis homicide detective Lucas Davenport, and his nun best friend and psychologist profiler, Elle Kruger. The friends are bonded by a "shared tragedy" and now track down Minnesota's dangerous criminals. John Sandford's book series has experienced great success over the years, with the past ten books all topping the New York Times Bestseller List.
NCIS fans needn't worry about Mark Harmon disappearing from his beloved series for now, as the actor is currently only involved in Prey as an executive producer. The potential program will be created by former Shadowhunters showrunner Ed Decter and hails from CBS TV Studios. Howard Braunstein and Michael Jaffe are also listed as executive producers in the development and had previously worked with Decter on his 2012 Lifetime show The Client List.
The Prey project will have a lot of potential material to pull from, as John Sandford's book series has 29 novels to date. As mentioned, the last 10 have topped out as bestsellers, so there's potential for this venture to turn into a big television success. Of course, success in print does not always translate to success on the screen, but one could argue the chances of a project's success may be better when the source material is commercially successful.
This is not Mark Harmon's first foray into executive producing, as the actor is currently holding that role on NCIS. Harmon is also an executive producer on NCIS: New Orleans, so his involvement in the Prey project doesn't come as a complete surprise. Hell, with the success he's had with NCIS on CBS, it's a wonder he isn't trying to get his name on any and all crime dramas that have a chance of appearing there!
CinemaBlend will keep an eye on the progress of this Prey adaptation, and report on its development should it show signs of a future at CBS. For a look at some shows that are guaranteed to be coming to television in the near future and months ahead, be sure to visit and bookmark our fall and midseason premiere guides.
