NCIS's Abby Sciuto Was Inspired By A Fan-Favorite CSI Character
Every great procedural series needs nerdy lab technicians to help solve the crimes, but did you know "NCIS" took inspiration from "CSI" in this regard? Pauley Perrette's Abby Sciuto character was created as a response to the "CSI" lab wizard Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda), albeit with the volume turned up a notch.
"Don Bellisario said to me he wanted the show to have a lot of humor, which is where the Abby character came from. I was a huge fan of 'CSI,' and I loved the Greg Sanders character," co-creator Don McGill told The Hollywood Reporter. "So I thought creating a quirky lab character, and pushing it a little bit further, would satisfy Don Bellisario's mandate to bring humor to the show."
In addition to being quirky forensic geniuses, Abby and Greg embrace a goth lifestyle. Abby's fashion sense reflects her interest in the culture, while Greg is a fan of Marilyn Manson's music. That said, both characters are also different in many ways, so the parallels might not be immediately obvious to viewers.
Perrette ultimately left "NCIS" after 15 seasons, and she doesn't seem eager to reprise Abby anytime soon.
Why CSI fans love Greg Sanders
Don McGill isn't the only person who was drawn to Greg Sanders on "CSI." Many fans consider him one of the procedural's best characters, but what made viewers gravitate toward him?
"Well developed back story, interesting passions (Vegas history) and a character that developed logically and realistically rather than suddenly changing to fit a plot line for a single episode," one Redditor wrote.
Other viewers particularly love the earlier, more lighthearted version of Greg — the one that inspired the "NCIS" creators when they conceived Abby. "He's goofy and has a fun personality at the beginning of the series (haha loved when he had the glove on his head and Grissom walked in on him in the lab)," another fan wrote.
Greg briefly returned to the franchise in "CSI: Vegas," delighting longtime fans. Sadly, "CSI: Vegas" was cancelled following Season 3, so it might be a while before viewers get to see him in action again.