NCIS season 18 is inching closer to production, with the start date tentatively set in early September. Now, series star Wilmer Valderrama, who plays Nick Torres, further teased fans that the upcoming installment could arrive sooner than expected.
In a recent Instagram post, Valderrama shared a photo of himself as Torres and confirmed that filming of NCIS season 18 has an official start date. Just like other cast and crew members, the actor has been waiting to get the series back into production.
Previously, Deadline reported that the series could begin production on Wednesday, Sept. 9. But then, it should be noted that some things could change depending on the current situation. The shows need to follow certain health measures and guidelines due to the global health crisis.
In addition, NCIS season 18 might be a little bit different this time around, particularly how certain scenes are produced and shot. For instance, we could see a lesser crowd, a few people on set, and changes in the way actors communicate with each other on-screen.
The good thing is that CBS has allowed other series to start production, with SWAT being the first one to come back to work. The series hasn't encountered any issues so far since filming started in early August. NCIS season 18 may follow the path of this show to avoid any setbacks.
If filming, indeed, begins in September, we could expect the new installment premiering in either early or mid-November. However, since the series started late, there are plenty of questions that needed to be addressed -- including the episode counts.
Filming starts almost two months later than the usual, so the series may not be able to make up for all the lost time and finish filming in late April or early May. If the new season goes to the frequently-planned 24-episode, it would take them until July 2021 to finish off everything.
According to CarterMatt, the series could make up for the lost time by filming over the holidays. While they won't be shooting on Christmas or New Year, cast and crew could have a shorter break this time around. Also, this is beneficial for everyone since the set is a little safer.
Also, NCIS season 18 could film more on soundstages and could use less location to trim down production for each episode. In addition, using a lot of existing sets or anything that requires less setup could lead to faster and more efficient production.
