NCIS Morgan City; TV drama films aboard 'Mr. Charlie'

A crew with the CBS drama “NCIS: New Orleans” got a little taste of life on an oil rig Wednesday while filming at the “Mr. Charlie” rig museum in Morgan City.

The group spent the day at the International Petroleum Museum and Exposition, or “Mr. Charlie” rig museum, while shooting for an upcoming episode of the show.

The episode in the works includes “someone working on an oil rig,” and is tentatively scheduled to air Jan. 10, First Assistant Director Handel Whitmore said.
“We love the location,” Whitmore said.

“NCIS: New Orleans” is about a local field office that investigates criminal cases involving military personnel in New Orleans, according to the show’s website.

Rig Museum President Virgil Allen said producers of the show contacted him about a week ago and asked if a crew could film at the museum.

“They came over real quick, looked it over, and said, ‘OK, we’re coming back next week to film,’” Allen said.

Scott Bakula plays the role of the investigative team’s leader, Special Agent Dwayne Pride, a New Orleans native, “who is driven by his need to do what is right,” the website says.

Bakula had never filmed aboard an oil rig before Wednesday.

“This is really exciting for us to be down here and learn a lot more about how this all works,” Bakula said.

“It’s just a great set to have access to for a TV show or a movie,” Bakula said.

In the rig’s past life, it was used in the Gulf of Mexico from 1954-86 before being moved to its location on the banks of the Atchafalaya River in 1994. The museum started doing tours in 1995 and oilfield training in 1997, and has also been a filming location for several movies and featured on TV over the years, Allen said.

Allen explained the drilling process to Bakula because Bakula was trying to understand the script better, Bakula said.

“Virgil was giving me a lot of technical information. I was kind of astounded,” Bakula said.

They discussed the Deepwater Horizon rig, too, and techniques used to seal wells.

Bakula was “kind of amazed” that the industry has the technology to be able to send two pipes from two ships two miles away “and hit a 7-inch target,” he said.

“That kind of blew my mind. It feels very much like NASA, kind of out in space kind of connective work,” Bakula said.

The closest to Morgan City that Bakula had previously been for the show was Houma.

Bakula enjoyed being able to get on the rig and work with “guys that really work the rig,” he said.

About 30 local people were extras, playing rig workers, in the several scenes filmed Wednesday, Allen said.

“It’s always way more interesting to talk to people doing the real thing than it is what we make up in television and in movies,” Bakula said.

“All this stuff we see in movies, under water working, now you’re up close ... to the real thing,” Bakula said.

“NCIS: New Orleans” is the first show or movie to film at the Mr. Charlie since the movie, “The Best of Me” in 2014, Allen said.