NCIS Officially Announces Its New Spin-Off Title - And Everyone Got It Wrong
The NCIS franchise is like a hydra — when one head is lost, two more take its place. "NCIS: Hawai'i" was canceled after three seasons, but fans will soon be treated to the Gibbs (Mark Harmon) prequel spinoff titled "NCIS: Origins." There's another spinoff in the works, focusing on Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), that was tentatively titled "NCIS: Europe" when it was first announced. It turns out that the series will officially be called something different.
The Paramount+ Instagram account posted a video message from Weatherly and de Pablo about the new show. They reveal it's titled "NCIS: Tony & Ziva." This is a good thing in the eyes of de Pablo, who says, "It makes it really easy because the fans will know exactly what the show is. It's about Tony and Ziva in Europe."
Most NCIS series subtitles use a location where the show is predominantly set, such as "NCIS: Hawai'i" and "NCIS: Los Angeles." However, that format appears to be changing, with "NCIS: Origins" and now "NCIS: Tony & Ziva" branching out the franchise beyond its usual scope.
NCIS: Tony and Ziva will explore new sides of the franchise
An extra tidbit to glean from the Instagram video is Michael Weatherly mentioning that they're filming the spinoff over the summer. Assuming everything goes to plan, there's a real possibility the show could debut on Paramount+ in the first half of 2025. With "NCIS: Origins" and the next season of "NCIS" debuting this fall, it's a good time to be a fan, with "NCIS: Tony & Ziva" offering a new type of story for the franchise.
Weatherly and Cote de Pablo offered a statement to Deadline back in February about what viewers can expect from the show: "The world of Tony and Ziva (and daughter Tali) promises to be an action-packed roller coaster fueled by love, danger, tears, and laughter." The duo has an unconventional relationship on "NCIS," with the main cast believing Ziva to be dead before she returns for one last mission and later reunites with Tony in Europe to raise the daughter they had together.
Fans already got a taste of Tony back in the saddle via his surprise cameo appearance for the Ducky (David McCallum) tribute episode on "NCIS" Season 21. Curiously, Ziva doesn't come back to honor their fallen comrade, but perhaps she already has her hands full with issues in Europe. Tony's cameo is an appetizer, but fans seeing the couple affectionately known as "Tiva" back at it again will be the real treat when the spinoff debuts on Paramount+.