The star of NBC’s "Quantum Leap" will soon be back in the lead role of a drama series. EW.com’s Inside TV reports that the new CBS “NCIS” spinoff, set in New Orleans, has cast Scott Bakula in the lead role.

Bakula, who more recently starred in TNT’s “Men of a Certain Age,” will play special agent Pride, a man who is said to embody New Orleans. CBS’s description of the show says that Pride is driven by the “need to do what’s right and does it all with warmth, passion, strength and humor. He’s a unique federal agent working in one of this country’s most unique cities.”

The network said the spinoff will feature cases handled by the NCIS New Orleans office, which stem from Florida to the Texas panhandle. The spinoff pilot will air as a two-part “NCIS” episode in the spring.

Bakula received four Emmy nominations for his work on "Quantum Leap" from 1989 through 1993, and was nominated again last year for a supporting role in "Behind the Candelabra." He is also known for his starring role on "Star Trek: Enterprise."

Scott Bakula