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'NCIS: Origins' based on Camp Pendleton

Marines at Camp Pendleton watched the first episode of the series set at their base. They also got to speak with main cast members Austin Stowell and Mariel Molino.

SAN DIEGO — You'll see a familiar San Diego spot in the new "NCIS: Origins" series. The set for the show is a recreation of Camp Pendleton. 

While not actually filmed in San Diego, the show takes place in a 1990s-inspired Camp Pendleton look alike.

The CBS show is a prequel to the original "NCIS" series. It follows a young Leroy Gibbs starting his career at the NCIS Camp Pendleton office.

Marines watched the first episode of the series Wednesday on base and got to speak with two cast members, Austin Stowell and Mariel Molino.

"This is definitely the toughest character I’ve played because Marines are the toughest out there, period," Molino said.

Molino has her own San Diego tie, she grew up in Coronado.

"I grew up right next to a base, so to play someone from San Diego too is really cool," she said.

It was a full-circle moment for Jonathan, a Marine at Camp Pendleton who watched the original series. He said if he chose to enlist, he wanted to be a Marine because of the show.

"NCIS: Origins" was released Oct. 14. It airs every Monday on CBS at 10 p.m. 

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