CBS' Head Honcho Had A Blunt Response When Asked If They Thought About Bringing Tony & Ziva Back

While a lot of cancelations news comes down the pipeline this time of year (Rip Law & Order: Organized Crime), unfortunately, the powers that be can make disappointing decisions at any time during the year. Such was the case with NCIS: Tony & Ziva, a globe-trotting NCIS adventure story that brought back two fan-favorite characters. Fans were enamored with it, but the audience for the franchise has been split between CBS and Paramount+, and it ultimately got canceled. Now, a CBS head honcho has been asked about it.

So, What's The Tea With NCIS: Tony & Ziva?

CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach was asked about the cancelation recently after news broke that NCIS ise getting another spinoff, this time set in New York and featuring LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna. We’ve been asking if Hanna might be back in a full time capacity, anyway, but if there’s bandwidth for the mothership NCIS, NCIS: Origins, NCIS: Sydney and now New York, why not ask Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo back? Unfortunately, Reisenbach shut that question down with Deadline really quickly. Here’s her blunt response when asked, “Did CBS consider Tony & Ziva?”

It’s a stone cold response, but I respect it, and I do think LL Cool J has done so much for the franchise in recent years. He was part of what made NCIS: Los Angeles so special. When that got canceled, he gamely helped out NCIS: Hawai’i. Most recently, he’s been signed on for an arc on NCIS. People like the Sam Hanna character a lot.

Plus, NCIS has had a glut of concepts get pitched in recent years, and it has to be mentioned that some of them are more expensive to film than others. NCIS: Hawai’i may have also gotten canceled far too soon, but it was also noted that it was really pricy to shoot. Tony & Ziva completely left the U.S. and filmed in Budapest (and other locations in Europe), and it was also doubtless more expensive to bring the veteran leads back than bring in newbies. So, unless the ratings were crazy good and led to a ton of new Paramount+ subscriptions, I’m not sure the network would have ever seriously considered it. At least that’s what I’m taking from Reisenbach not mincing words, here.

When Tony & Ziva ended earlier this year, at first I thought there might be reason to celebrate. It was a solid season of TV, and plus, Michael Weatherly had celebrated filming wrapping with a video in the tub, giving me reason to be bullish there’d be more. It sounds like, however, that was mistaken confidence.

I'm still glad we finally got to see Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David reunite onscreen. It was years in the making, and I can't be upset with CBS for giving fans their ultimate wish. I just wish it had worked out a little more magically, and we had gotten Season 2. At least they'll always have Paris.