NCIS’ Tony & Ziva Spinoff Has 3 Exciting Firsts For The Franchise

Ziva David and Anthony “Tony” DiNozzo from the NCIS universe will be featured in a new spinoff series called NCIS: Europe, with exciting firsts for the franchise. The beloved characters first appeared in the original NCIS series, working alongside one another as special agents of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Tony, played by Michael Weatherly, was an original cast member of the flagship series, featured in season 1, episode 1. Cote de Pablo joined the cast to play Ziva shortly after that, at the beginning of season 3.

Ziva and Tony were featured on the show concurrently for nine seasons, giving the characters a rich history of their relationship. The characters’ flirtatious relationship developed over years on the original NCIS show, now airing NCIS season 21, gaining momentum after the pair went undercover posing as a married couple. Although Tony and Ziva left the show in seasons 11 and 13, respectively, their departures spawned questions about the characters’ future that will now find their answers in the Tony & Ziva spinoff.

The Tony & Ziva Spinoff Will Depart From Episodic Storytelling

The new spinoff will offer a serialized story

One of the most recognizable elements of the NCIS universe is its episodic storytelling. At the beginning of each episode, a moment sets the scene for a crime scene investigation, and the episode follows NCIS as they get to the bottom of what happened, with the crime in question typically reaching its conclusion by the time the credits hit. Unlike most series in the NCIS universe, the Tony & Ziva spinoff will feature a serialized story that carries over from episode to episode rather than the episodic plot structure that the NCIS audience is used to seeing.

The Tony & Ziva spinoff will follow a trend arguably started by NCIS: Sydney, which began incorporating a more serialized story and saw characters solving related crimes throughout the season. While NCIS: Sydney still felt true to form for the NCIS franchise, the Tony & Ziva spinoff has the opportunity to accomplish something new. The serialized storytelling will produce a favorable climate to explore Tony and Ziva’s unresolved relationship and experience raising their daughter, Tali David-DiNozzo, making for exciting Tony & Ziva spinoff moments to anticipate.

The Series Will Reprise NCIS’ Original Main Characters

Tony & Ziva’s spinoff will also feature the original cast members

NCIS: Europe is setting a new trend for the NCIS franchise, where spinoffs are created to explore existing characters rather than introduce new ones. Rather than present all new characters, as NCIS spinoffs have done in the past, the Tony & Ziva spinoff intends to explore some of NCIS’ most established characters more deeply. The NCIS: Origins spinoff will also expand on a central NCIS character, telling the backstory of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, but something else about the Tony & Ziva spinoff makes it a first of its kind.

In addition to exploring existing characters, the Tony & Ziva spinoff will also reprise original actors Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo for the roles. While NCIS: Origins will also feature an original NCIS character, it will not feature an original actor in a leading role. Although Mark Harmon will return to narrate and executive produce the series, Harmon’s son won’t return to play young Gibbs. An NCIS spinoff that features original characters and actors is the beginning of something unheard of for the NCIS franchise.

Tony & Ziva’s Spinoff Will Premiere On Paramount+, Not CBS

The series will be the first NCIS show to exclusively stream to its audience

Unlike other shows in the NCIS universe, the Tony & Ziva spinoff will stream on Paramount+. In an interview with Vulture, CBS president George Cheeks revealed the series would air on Paramount+ to produce a blend of content for the franchise and that the streaming platform was a suitable climate for the Tony & Ziva spinoff. The series will break from a tradition for the franchise that began in 2003 when the original NCIS premiered on CBS. NCIS: Los Angeles, New Orleans, Hawaii, and Sydney aired on CBS. With this departure, NCIS: Europe can explore storylines and relationships outside primetime boundaries.

Streaming on Paramount+ will put the Tony & Ziva spinoff in a unique position for the NCIS franchise, but it’s something that’s been done with other shows known for their presence on network television. When CBS transitioned the Criminal Minds franchise to Paramount+ in creating Criminal Minds: Evolution, the show featured a more serialized story and was able to tackle more difficult narratives with more connectivity between episodes. It’s a format that would suit Ziva & Tony as they reunite and delve into their family life outside the flagship franchise.

The Tony & Ziva spinoff is uniquely positioned to accomplish a rich narrative due to exciting firsts for the franchise. Between the series being catered to a streaming platform rather than network television and the more serialized, interconnected storytelling, the show can dig deep into the franchise’s well-established characters. Tony and Ziva have been featured on NCIS on and off for more than 20 years, and the familiarity with the characters will allow the series to capture its audience in a new way.

Source: Vulture