NCIS: Los Angeles
Spoilers

On November 24, Pauley Perrette's Abby packs her bag and heads west.

The NCIS character will crossover to NCIS: Los Angeles. What prompts her visit to the Pacific time zone?

A victim out there matches the profile of a murderer Abby has been tracking. According to the actress herself:

"She pieces together some unsolved crimes in her own way, and she is convinced there's a killer that no one else thinks exists. She has a very specific theory and she goes out to L.A. to try to track down this guy... or girl."

Meanwhile, NCIS: Los Angeles airs a new episode next week. It's titled "Keepin It Real" and it focuses on the death of a marine that was living a double life. Below are a trio of images from it:

So far NCIS: Los Angeles has focused heavily on the backstory of Chris O'Donnell's G. Cullen.

While this character will remain prominent through the fall, executive producer Shane Brennan teases to TV Guide that developments for Kensi and Sam are on the way.

"If Callen is a mystery, then Sam is an intrigue," Brennan said. "There is one stunning revelation about Sam Hanna that the audience will go, 'I did not see that coming.' It's amazing. I won't tell you when it's coming, but it will arrive with some impact."

What did you think of the series premiere of NCIS: Los Angeles? Worthy of the original NCIS?

Next week, Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J return with an episode titled "The Only Easy Way." During the hour, a drug dealer is found dead. Sounds like your average crime, right?

Wrong. The case turns personal for Cullen and Hanna. Click on the photos below for an early look at a few scenes from the installment:

A spin-off of a spin-off, NCIS: Los Angeles premieres on Tuesday night.

The drama debuts after the original NCIS and stars Chris O'Donnell as the lead character of Callen. He possesses a natural talent for undercover work is legend.

LL Cool J is also on board, portraying Special Agent Sam Hanna, a former Navy SEAL. He's fluent in Arabic and an expert on Middle Eastern culture.

Take a look at a clip from the series premiere below, as well as a few photos of O'Donnell and Cool J in their roles...

Shane Brennan is a busy man. He's serving as the executive producer for both NCIS and its upcoming spin-off, NCIS: Los Angeles, this fall.

But Brennan found time to chat with Michael Ausiello this week, spilling a couple of beans regarding storylines on his two shows.

For example, when asked about the status of Gibbs' boat next season, the producer said viewers haven't seen the last of it.

“In the first three or four episodes, Gibbs has his tape measure out and he’s measuring the basin. And everyone will have to wait and see what goes in there," he said.

As for NCIS: Los Angeles, it's already been confirmed that Louise Lombard is out as Lara Macy, the presumed female lead.

Will we ever see this character on the show again? Maybe.

“She didn’t die,” Brennan said. “We’ll find out that she went to an overseas post. When Callen (Chris O’Donnell) was shot last season, they had to move to the new operation center and [Lara] was relocated. Will she come back? Never say never.”

In TV Guide's latest Mega Buzz column, the publication reveals a couple of intriguing tidbits about a couple of fall shows.

Which characters are involved in new romances on Mad Men and NCIS: Los Angeles? Find out now...

• Joan Holloway (pictured) has a new man in her life when season three of Mad Men kicks off. He works in the Sterling Cooper office.
• On NCIS: Los Angeles, Pauley Perrette's crossover might find her involved romantically with Barrett Foa's character, a tech-op named Eric Beal.

Rocky Carroll will appear on both NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles this fall.

For at least one episode of the latter, producer Shane Brennan says he won't be the only familiar face on the spin-off: Brennan told reporters last week that Pauley Perrette will appear in episode two of NCIS: Los Angeles.

"She does a crossover and she's directly involved with helping us solve the case. It's a fun little cameo for her," Brennan at the Television Critics Association Q&A session. "We have plans for her to perhaps be in more episodes. And perhaps not just her. I can't tell you yet."

As for the series premiere of the NCIS spin-off, it takes place four months after the events depicts in the NCIS episodes Legend 1 and Legend 2.

"It's Callen's (Chris O'Donnell) first day back on the job, and we see his scars. We literally see his scars," Brenna said. "And he rolls into this new venue and away we go from there. Will we answer what happened to him and how it happened and why? In the very best tradition of NCIS, yes. And in the very best tradition of NCIS, you'll just have to wait. So it will be a sweeps episode. I'll give you that."

On September 22, NCIS will officially be spun off.

The seventh season premiere of that highly-rated CBS drama will be followed by the series debut of NCIS: Los Angeles, which will focused on the Office of Special Projects.

This unit is led by Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J, the latter of which rapped with TV Guide this week about his role on the show:

On landing a TV gig: I had a deal with CBS for about three years, and we were looking for the right show. We tried a few things and they weren't really right, but when this opportunity came along, I met with [NCIS boss] Shane Brennan and we clicked instantly. It felt like the right thing.

On Agent Sam Hanna: he speaks Arabic and is fluent in a few other languages, and he deals with a lot of technology.... I have my hands full.

On the addition of Linda Hunt to the cast: It's hot. From what I hear, there's going to be some really cool dancing between me and her. She's gonna be in my face.

NCIS: Los Angeles already stars a series of familiar faces: Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J and Linda Hunt will all play key roles on the show.

But TV Guide reports that fans of the original series will spot a very familiar face when the spin-off debuts this fall: Rocky Carroll, who appears on NCIS as director Leon Vance, will take on the same character in NCIS: Los Angeles.

The actor was promoted to series regular status on NCIS this past season. As for his new gig, Carroll said:

"I'll be keeping my normal routine on the mother ship, and I'll be doing at least six of the first 13 episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles."

Linda Hunt is coming aboard NCIS: Los Angeles.

The diminutive Oscar-winner will play a series regular on the CBS spin-off, as her character is described in Entertainment Weekly as an "efficient and hard-nosed former film industry technician." She now oversees the "backroom" support staff; i.e. those that provide everything from assistance and equipment to team.

"Nothing fazes her," said executive producer Shane Brennan of the character. "But as tough as she might seem, she genuinely cares about Callen (Chris O'Donnell) and the team."