Popular NCIS alum Michael Weatherly is returning to TV in a new streaming spinoff of the hit crime-busting franchise — but sources say cast members at the original CBS show are terrified he’ll knock them off the air!
“Ratings for the main show have dropped this year, and some of the stars are afraid bringing back Michael in a new format will make their show obsolete,” a TV industry insider exclusively tells Life & Style.
The new show, NCIS: Tony and Ziva, is set in Europe. It will stream on Paramount+ and feature Weatherly reprising his role as Anthony DiNozzo, along with Ziva David played by Cote de Pablo. She left the original series three years before Weatherly’s 2016 departure.
“They were both tremendously popular characters, and producers hope bringing them back in a new exotic setting will revitalize the franchise,” says the insider.
NCIS has been a ratings champ since its 2003 debut. But this year, it lost the title of the most-watched primetime series on CBS to Justin Hartley‘s red-hot crime drama, Tracker. “It’s clear the network is concerned the show is sagging,” says the source. “And having Michael and Cote in a new format makes old show cast members worried about job security.”
Meanwhile, Weatherly is said to be relishing the opportunity to return as a conquering hero after he clashed with former star Mark Harmon on the old show. “Michael doesn’t want people to lose their jobs,” spills the insider. “But he likes the idea of proving he doesn’t need Mark.”
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