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“Tiva” is back. CBS Studios is expanding its growing NCIS franchise by bringing back two fan-favorite characters from the mothership series, Tony DiNozzo, played by Michael Weatherly, and Ziva David, played by Cote de Pablo, who will reunite on screen for the first time in 10 years. Paramount+ has ordered a 10-episode series order for the untitled spinoff headed by Weatherly and Pablo and written by John McNamara (thrombus, The Wizards). All three are executive producers.
Nicknamed NCIS: EuropeThe new action-packed spin-off, which goes into production later this year, will follow Tony (Weatherly) and Ziva (de Pablo) as they flee across the continent.
NCIS is one of CBS Studios’ most valuable franchises and its expansion has been a goal for the studio. This is one of two new NCIS Branches was greenlit this year, along with the Young Gibbs prequel series for CBS, NCIS: Origins. It is also the second expansion of the NCIS franchise beyond the US, following NCIS: Sydneywhich has aired on CBS in the US.
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After Ziva’s (de Pablo) supposed death, Tony (Weatherly) left the NCIS team to go raise his daughter. Years later, Ziva was discovered alive, leading her to complete one last mission with NCIS before reuniting with Tony and her daughter in Paris. Since then, and where we find them in the new Paramount+ original series, Tony and Ziva have been raising their daughter, Tali, together. When Tony’s security company is attacked, they must flee across Europe, trying to discover who is after them and maybe even learn to trust each other again so they can finally have their unconventional happily ever after.
Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly in NCIS
Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images
“We’ve been talking about this story for many years and now, with John McNamara at the helm, we’re ready,” Weatherly and de Pablo said. “The world of Tony and Ziva (and their daughter Tali) promises to be an action-packed roller coaster driven by love, danger, tears and laughter. We also want to recognize and thank the fans around the world who supported the ‘Tiva’ movement for years. To this day, they greet us in grocery stores and on the street to tell us how much these characters mean to them and wonder what Tony and Ziva are doing now. This is for you!”
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Weatherly hinted at a possible ‘Tiva’ reunion last month when his New Year’s tweet, “It’s time to look at the weather and enjoy the moment!” He prompted one fan to respond: “We would all rather see you and Ziva reunited.” Weatherly highlighted the comment, adding, “Stay tuned…because this could be an interesting year for those ‘moments’!” He further fueled speculation this week by responding to a fan’s tweet lamenting that he and Pablo “miss the chemistry and magic they both create,” with the cryptic, “the universe works in mysterious ways… ”
De Pablo, Weatherly and McNamara executive produce the spinoff series with Laurie Lieser, Christina Strain and Shelley Meals. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
“I am incredibly excited to enter the NCIS universe with Cote and Michael and I’m excited to explore it from some new angles,” McNamara said. “Given that the franchise is a global sensation, I think it’s phenomenal that CBS Studios and Paramount+ have given us the green light to shoot in Europe. As for the title of this series, if I told you what it was, I would be violating the Espionage Act.”
Weatherly, an original NCIS cast member, had been with the series since its launch in 2003. He left after 13 seasons and went on to headline another CBS/CBS Studios drama, Bull. Speculation about his possible return to the NCIS franchise resumed later Bull he finished his career last spring. She recently made a surprise cameo in the Ducky tribute episode of the parent series.
De Pablo joined NCIS in season 3. She appeared in seasons 3 through 10 and exited the series at the beginning of season 11. In the season 13 finale, it was revealed that Ziva had apparently died in an explosion in Israel. She returned three years later, in 2019, where it was revealed that she was alive and had gone into hiding. She made a surprise, unannounced return in the last scene of the season 16 finale, which aired on May 21, 2019, in which Ziva arrives in Gibbs’ basement to warn him that her life is in danger. She later appeared in the first two episodes of season 17 of the show and in episodes 10 and 11 of that season as part of her storyline.
Weatherly, repped by Anonymous Content, Verve and McKuin Frankel Whitehead, and Pablo, repped by UTA and Entertainment 360, have remained close off-screen. In 2018, they partnered to executive produce a police drama. missing in actionwhich was created at CBS.
Twenty-one seasons (currently ranked as the third longest-running US primetime drama) The Mothership NCIS The series remains the most watched non-sports program on air. A big global seller, once the most-watched drama in the world, the venerable procedural has spawned three spin-offs in the US. NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans as well as NCIS: Hawaii, which began its fourth season. The franchise recently went international with its first non-American branch, NCIS: Sydney, which has also done very well in the United States, ranking as the most watched new series of the fall.
Veteran showrunner McNamara most recently served as executive producer on the Apple TV+ series. Physical and before that he co-created and executive produced Syfy The Wizards.