Eric Christian Olsen: peripatetic funny guy, newly minted goofy cop, culinary school student. Olsen might look familiar from one of his dozen or so TV roles — Community, Brothers & Sisters, The Loop, Get Real, Tru Calling, etc. — but these days he’s Deeks, a mysterious and occasionally silly investigator on NCIS: LA. Deeks is the subject of tonight’s backstory-heavy episode, so Vulture caught up with the actor to ask him how one goes from playing a perpetually bare-chested skeaze on Community to a gun-toting ex-undercover cop on a show with 17 million viewers a week.

There are a lot of fan-made romance videos about Deeks and his partner Kensi (Daniela Ruah). Did that catch you off guard, given that you’re on a procedural?
I remember the first time we went on to YouTube [to see these videos], and there’s literally hundreds of them … I mean, I get it. I watch the show, and I’m emotionally invested in [Deeks and Kensi] getting together.

And they seem to be set to a wide variety of music.
Some of [the videos] are set to Justin Bieber music, and some are set to “Adagio for Strings,” and that’s sort of the crazy thing about the demographic for NCIS:LA. It’s the widest spectrum of fans.

You have been on other shows without … such a wide demographic.
Yeah, I’ve been on a lot of shows that don’t have 19 million viewers. [Laughs.] I mean, Community is one of my favorite shows on TV — I’m a huge fan of the Russo brothers and Arrested Development, which is why I did it … What other shows [have I been on]? Oh, Brothers & Sisters. I never watched Brothers & Sisters. I did it because I loved Rachel [Griffiths] from Six Feet Under.

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EXCLUSIVE 10:40 AM: A 20-year successful partnership between a top TV producer and a major studio may end up in court. This morning, JAG and NCIS creator Don Bellisario is filing a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the series’ producer CBS TV Studios over offshoot NCIS: Los Angeles. The complaint, which you can read here, is being filed at Los Angeles Superior Court by Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks & Lincenberg.

Bellisario, who was let go from NCIS in 2007 after star Mark Harmon threatened to quit the show, has not been involved in the successful spinoff series which was developed the following year and launched in fall 2009 and has not received a penny from it. The filing aims to rectify that, claiming that under Bellisario’s contracts with CBS TV Studios and its predecessors, Bellisario had a right of “first opportunity” “to participate creatively in economically in the development” of any “new spinoffs, sequels or remakes” of any series he had created for the studio as long as he worked on the original series for the first 2 seasons. The suit claims that CBS denied Bellisario that right as he was never offered to create or be part of NCIS: LA, which was written by Shane Brennan, former No.2 to Bellisario on NCIS who took over the hit series after Bellisario’s ouster at the end of Season 4. “Pursuant to the first opportunity provisions of Plaintiffs’ contracts with CBS, CBS is contractually obligated to compensate Bellisario for NCIS:LA, including a percentage of its profits as well as a certain fixed compensation,” the suit says. (Continue to read…)

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After months of negotiations, NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles executive producer/showrunner Shane Brennan has signed a new three-year, low-eight-figure deal with the CBS TV Studios. Additionally, the studio has inked a three-year, seven-figure overall deal with NCIS executive producer Gary Glasberg.

Brennan, who joined NCIS at the beginning of Season 4 in 2006 and was tapped as showrunner the following season, also created the spinoff NCIS:LA and for the past two seasons has been running both series. Under his new deal, he will continue to serve as an executive producer on both shows and will serve as full-time showrunner on NCIS: LA. Glasberg, who joined NCIS in 2009, will take over day-to-day showrunner duties on the mothership series. Brennan’s deal also includes a development component. “Looking forward, I have a lot of stories to tell, but the focus will be on continuing the success of NCIS and NCIS: LA,” Brennan said. The Australian-born writer-producer admitted that returning home, where he has a family, had been on the back of his mind during the renegotiations with CBS Studios but added that “leaving wasn’t a real option.” “I’m very grateful to CBS who took a big risk with me when I took over NCIS, so staying with them was crlearly the best thing to do.”

Under Brennan, NCIS has been on a ratings ascend, cracking the Top 10 in Season 5, Brennan’s first on the show. Last season, NCIS became the most-watched scripted program on television, with an average audience of 18.9 million viewers. It continues to be No. 1 among all scripted shows this season and has actually increased its viewer average to 20 million, breaking series viewership records several times. Additionally, NCIS has been one of the best-performing drama series in off-network syndication, with highly rated reruns on USA, and internationally. Its spinoff NCIS: LA has also performed great. It is the second-most-watched scripted series on TV behind NCIS with an average of 17.2 million viewers. It landed a record off-network syndication deal with USA for $2 million-plus an episode only two months into its freshman series in 2009.

With the two deals, CBS studios has secured the key behind-the scenes component of NCIS, which in February was renewed for next season. At the time, the studio locked in series star Mark Harmon for two more years. Brennan is with Paradigm, Glasberg with CAA.

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AFTER A NAVY SEAL IMPOSTER IS SET ABLAZE, NCIS CONNECTS HIS DEATH TO A STOLEN CANISTER USED TO MAKE DEADLY BOMBS, ON “NCIS: LOS ANGELES” TUESDAY, MAY 10

Claire Forlani Guest Stars as Operations Manager Lauren Hunter

“Imposters” – After a Navy SEAL imposter is set ablaze, NCIS obtains new information regarding the whereabouts of the stolen Brachytherapy canister from a previous case that could be used to make a deadly bomb, on NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Tuesday, May 10 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Claire Forlani guest stars as Operations Manager Lauren Hunter.

Claire Forlani has just been cast in CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles in a recurring role this season, and the big news is her character description: Forlani plays Lauren Hunter, the NCIS: LA team’s new Operations Manager.

Which raises a crucial question: What does this mean for Hetty?

Hunter is described as attractive, authoritative, cool and calculating: “She rarely lets her guard down, but when she does she reveals a dangerous quality that suggests she is much more than your run-of-the mill operations manager.”

Forlani’s storyline begins on the NCIS: LA episode airing May 10. Sources say the new operations manager and Linda Hunt’s character are very much part of this season’s cliffhanger and that a big question for fans will be whether Hunt will continue on the show — as the operations manager, or doing something else — next season.

Forlani is currently playing Queen Igraine in Starz’ Camelot and had a recurring role for several seasons on CSI: NY. What do you think, should CBS keep Hetty around?

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DEEKS IS SENT DEEP UNDERCOVER TO PROTECT HIS BEST FRIEND AND PRIMARY INFORMANT FROM A GROUP OF ARMS TRAFFICKERS, ON “NCIS: LOS ANGELES” TUESDAY, MAY 3

“Plan B” – Deeks resumes an old alias he is not fond of in order to protect his best friend and chief informant from a criminal group that wants him dead, on NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Tuesday, May 3 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.