NCIS: Tony And Ziva is the spin-off NCIS fans have been waiting years for with details being drip-fed until its release next year.
NCIS’ Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David stars have opened up on exactly when their upcoming spin-off is to be set and the reason behind the unexpected choice.
NCIS season 22 has begun on CBS with its first ever prequel NCIS Origins also in full swing, telling the backstory of Leroy Gibbs (played by Austin Stowell) when he first became an agent.
There is plenty more to come with another prequel on the way in the shape of NCIS: Tony and Ziva, delving into the lives of fan-favourites Tony DiNozzo (played by Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo).
The series will see the star-crossed lovers finally reunited on Paramount+ with their lives in danger as Tony’s security firm in Paris is targeted.
However, it has since been revealed that while the main events of the spin-off is to be set in modern times, the show won’t be starting at this point.
Instead, NCIS: Tony and Ziva is going to pick up from Ziva’s faked death and Tony’s exit from the team as he leaves for Paris with their daughter Tali.
This detail was shared at the show’s MIPCOM panel with actress de Pablo stating: “We haven’t seen these characters since 2013 and I think the fans have always wanted to see what happened between them. In our first season, they’re going to get a fix of what has happened.”
The spin-off picking up more than 10 years earlier will get rid of the mystery of what happened after Tony and Ziva’s lives changed as little is known following their exits from NCIS.
Ziva then returned years later to help Gibbs with a case before leaving Washington DC to reunite with Tony and Tali in Paris.
Further explaining the reason for the backwards time jump, de Pablo added: “This removes the pressure to check out the main show to fully understand what’s going on and how Tony & Ziva’s new dilemma connects to their past.”
After delving into what happened at the time, the show will jump to the present day where the former agents once again find themselves in trouble but who is after them?
While an official release date isn’t yet known, the spin-off is going to be on Paramount+ rather than CBS and will consist of 10 episodes in total.
NCIS: Tony and Ziva is expected to premiere on Paramount+ sometime in 2025.