NCIS fans fell in love with the on-screen chemistry between agents Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo in the early seasons of the hit TV show NCIS.
While both characters left the show years ago, their names lived on, and the actors were ready to make a guest appearance at any time.
Now, NCIS fans are getting the reunion we’ve wished for in a surprising way!
Earlier in 2024, Paramount+ announced the exciting news that fans will enjoy yet another NCIS spinoff.
This time, writers have brought back Ziva and DiNozzo, along with their daughter Tali. Here’s everything we know about the newly named NCIS: Tony and Ziva TV series.
What is the Story Behind the NCIS Tony and Ziva Spinoff?
Several names were thrown about when the idea of this story started floating around. Actors Weatherly and de Pablo took to Instagram to reveal the name of their new spinoff.
What was once known as NCIS: Europe now has the name NCIS: Tony and Ziva. It will feature former NCIS special agents Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David in their retirement years after NCIS and David’s coming back from the dead.
We fell in love with the dynamic — strictly professional despite their chemistry — throughout several NCIS seasons.
Ziva David was the first to leave the show in NCIS Season 11, with several references throughout later seasons. She was last on NCIS to tie up her storyline in 2017, which set the stage for the series spinoff with former NCIS partner DiNozzo.
Tony DiNozzo also exited the show at the end of NCIS Season 13 to headline his own CBS series production Bull, which lasted from 2016 to 2022.
His ending was a happy but sad event, as he left to raise Tali, his and Ziva’s secret love child. At the time, the storyline was that David had died, leaving their child an orphan. So, Toni left NCIS to meet — and raise — his daughter alone.
He returned at the end of the tribute on NCIS Season 21 Episode 2, titled “The Stories We Leave Behind,” to honor series regular and fan-favorite Dr. Donald (Ducky) Mallard.
The actor, David McCallum, who portrayed the charismatic medical examiner turned NCIS historian, sadly passed in 2023.
However, during NCIS Season 16 Episode 24, we learned that David wasn’t dead but hiding. After completing her final mission, Ziva and Tony finally reunited.
They’ve created a nice life with their daughter Tali in Europe and are still going strong in their marriage. Fans will finally get to witness their love and chemistry instead of imagining it.
This series will be the second time NCIS has based a spinoff show outside the country. As Tony and Ziva go on the run, don’t be surprised if we see some of Europe’s most popular places.
NCIS: Sydney — just renewed for a second season — features a dual-nationality team of American NCIS and Australian Federal Police.
Weatherly and de Pablo have been in talks of bringing their characters back to the screen long before now. The two actors, along with John McNamara (The Librarians), will be executive producers. They released a statement saying,
“The world of Tony and Ziva (and daughter Tali) promises to be an action-packed roller coaster fueled by love, danger, tears, and laughter.”
They also thanked fans for their continued support for the TIVA relationship. It’s because of the extended interest in their relationship that the new NCIS spinoff is happening.
What Will the NCIS Tony and Ziva Spinoff Be About?
NCIS: Tony & Ziva will focus on the lives and current events of the TIVA relationship. We join the couple as they live happily in Europe, raising their daughter together.
But after an attack on Tony’s security team, the family must run across Europe. While we watch them try to unravel the mystery of who’s after them, we also get to see the perfect — and imperfect — sides of their love story.
We’re thrilled to see them as a couple and hope the current writers can stick with their trademark banter and excited to see how David’s badassery has balanced over the years with motherhood.
And if fatherhood has toned down Tony’s childishness or made it worse.
The official description follows:
NCIS: Tony & Ziva picks up after Ziva’s supposed death when Tony left the NCIS team to go raise their daughter. Years later, Ziva was discovered alive, leading her to complete one final mission with NCIS before she was reunited with Tony and their daughter in Paris.
Since then — and where we find them in NCIS: Tony & Ziva — Tony and Ziva have been raising their daughter, Tali, together.
When Tony’s security company is attacked, they must go on the run across Europe, try to figure out who is after them, and maybe even learn to trust each other again so they can finally have their unconventional happily ever after.
How Many Episodes Will the NCIS: Tony and Ziva Have?
The current word is that this spinoff will have ten episodes in the first season. It’s unexpected that this series will have any overlap with the current NCIS shows or cameos from past friends and colleagues.
But plenty of fans out there — including this gal — wouldn’t mind witnessing a traditional Gibbs head slap or a McGee moment.
Maybe if we all beg the network enough, the TV genies will make it come true!
Other than the pilot episode and the decision to give fans ten packed episodes, there is no word on whether Paramount+ hopes to turn this spinoff into the next hit series in the NCIS universe.
It’s being filmed at the same time as another NCIS spinoff — NCIS: Origins.
If you want to know how Gibbs came to be the hardass, brilliant, and strong special agent we love in NCIS, check out everything we know about where he got his start.
Or it could be a single-season show like Taylor Sheridan has become popular doing with series like 1883. There are talks that the vision for this show is to be more like an extended movie, broken down into longer episodes.
We’re all in for multiple seasons of this Tiva spinoff. It’s not like we’ve waited over a decade for this reunion or anything.
Who is in the Cast of the NCIS: Tony and Ziva?
Thankfully, producers have brought back the original actors to resume the roles of lovers Tony and Ziva.
In the role of Tony DiNozzo, is the charming Michael Weatherly. Although most known for his role as the handsome and smart DiNozzo on NCIS, Weatherly also headlined in the lead role as Dr. Jason Bull in the CBS series Bull.
Weatherly also appeared in Dark Angel, filling the role of Logan. His efforts earned him the Teen Choice Actor award in 2001. In 2001 and again in 2002, he earned the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series.
Michael started his career on The Cosby Show. Other credits include Loving, Jesse, and Significant Others. Movies include The Last Days of Disco, Gun Shy, Charlie Valentine, Venus and Mars, Trigger Happy, and The Specials.
Returning as former Israeli Mossad agent Ziva David is Cote de Pablo. She got her acting start on the ABC soap opera All My Children. Along with acting, Cote is also a singer, doing her own music, and appearing on Broadway in 2005.
Along with several years on NCIS and a short stint on NCIS: LA, Cote also appeared in The Dovekeepers, The Jury, 33, and The Last Rites of Ransom Pride.
A whole bunch of other cast members were also added in July 2024, and all of their information follows. It’s a large cast!!
Isla Gie (Foundation)as TALI: Tony and Ziva’s precocious 12-year-old daughter who is sick of being treated like a child. She’s more intuitive and vigilant than the adults around her give her credit for and she’s ready to prove this to them.
Amita Suman (Shadow and Bone) as CLAUDETTE: The Chief Technical Officer at Tony’s private security company and the only reason the place runs as smoothly as it does. There’s no problem Claudette can’t solve or code she can’t crack.
Maximilian Osinski (Ted Lasso) as BORIS: A Russian ex-pat and a brilliant computer hacker, one of the best and most elusive in the world. Boris lives outside the law and polite society and enjoys the anonymity and freedom that it affords.
Nassima Benchicou (Emily in Paris) as MARTINE: A former French intelligence agent with the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE). She is elegant and cunning, playing both sides of any conflict masterfully to protect her own self-interest.
Julian Ovenden (Bridgerton)as JONAH: A former computer programmer for the NSA and now the Secretary General of Interpol. Charming, decisive, and confident, Jonah sees the ways in which the world is broken and knows he can fix it.
Terence Maynard (Coronation Street) as DR. LANG: A deeply experienced therapist, gentle and probing, Dr. Lang treats patients with severe traumas and helps them find comfort and agency.
Lara Rossi (The Watch) as SOPHIE: A highly skilled professional with a background in the Special Air Service (SAS), Sophie brings a unique blend of maternal warmth and hyper-vigilance to her role as a caretaker for Tali.
James D’Arcy (Agent Carter) as HENRY: A high-ranking official at Interpol, Henry has spent his career in law enforcement chasing international criminals. Career-focused with no wife or family of his own, Henry has always been happily married to his job.
Is There a Trailer for the NCIS: Tony and Ziva?
Sorry, fans, but there’s no sneak peek yet to whet our appetites for this epic love story ten years in the making. But best believe, we’ll have it here when one drops. Are you a fanatic about us? Prove it with a like, share, or comment.
When is the Release Date for the NCIS: Tony and Ziva?
There is no word yet on a release date for the Europe-based NCIS Tiva spinoff. Filming is expected to begin in the summer, leaving fans eagerly hoping for episodes to drop in 2025.
If that’s too long to wait to see these lovebirds in action, take a page from my book and check out old episodes. Despite seeing them all multiple times, I still rewatch former seasons. There’s always something to catch.
Along with the 21 seasons of NCIS, you can binge-watch the entire NCIS: LA and NCIS: New Orleans since they’ve been canceled.
Or get up to date on NCIS: Hawai’i — recently canceled — or take a trip down under with the diverse team on NCIS: Sydney — just confirmed to have a Season 2.
If you’re Gibbs-obsessed, and who isn’t, be sure you’re following TV Fanatic everywhere to get updates on the newest NCIS spinoff series NCIS: Origins. It’s coming in fall 2024 in the timeslot previously awarded to NCIS: Hawai’i.
It will be mind-blowing to see an entire series dedicated to the stories of a young Gibbs as he starts out with NCIS. And it’ll be a bit exciting to return to the normalcy of the 90s.
Where to Watch NCIS: Tony & Ziva?
The NCIS universe — flagship NCIS, NCIS: Hawai’i, and the upcoming prequel series NCIS: Origins — airs on CBS.
The first international NCIS spinoff — NCIS: Sydney — originally premiered on Paramount+ Australia, but because of the 2023 writers’ strike, CBS picked up the series for their fall lineup.
It was a success, leading to CBS ordering a Season 2 along with Paramount+ Australia.
However, because of its inclusion, executives decided to push the Tiva spinoff to streaming instead.
We know many of you aren’t keen on buying into streaming, but if you want your favorite franchises to continue, now is the time to act.
Will you move mountains to see Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David reunite for more adventure?
Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch Podcast
If you had any doubt how much Code de Pablo and Michael Weatherly wanted to work together again, look no further than the fact they’re also hosting a new podcast: Off-Duty: An NCIS Rewatch.
The new video podcast will be a Spotify original and run weekly. Each episode will also feature a special guest.
And you don’t have long to wait. The podcast begins streaming on June 4 on Spotify!