'NCIS' Cast Fear Michael Weatherly's Spin-Off 'Will Kill Off the Original'
Weatherly teased, "The show will have a lot of international locations that we will reveal later, and international casting that is going to be absolutely stellar."
Popular NCIS alum Michael Weatherly is returning to TV in a new streaming spinoff of the hit crime-busting franchise — but spies say cast members at the original CBS show are terrified he'll knock them off the air, RadarOnline.com has learned.
"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," revealed a TV industry insider while other sources cast doubt upon the claims.
The new show, NCIS: Tony and Ziva, is set in Europe. The action-packed show follows Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David after they have left the agency and are raising their daughter, Tali, in Paris.
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.
Weatherly teased, "The show will have a lot of international locations that we will reveal later, and international casting that is going to be absolutely stellar."
"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," revealed a TV industry insider.
De Pablo and Weatherly are collaborating as executive producers on the show, which reunites the costars on screen for the first time in a decade.
"They were both tremendously popular characters, and producers hope bringing them back in a new exotic setting will revitalize the franchise," says the insider.
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The new show, 'NCIS: Tony and Ziva', is set in Europe.
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.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, other tipsters said the This Is Us actor is now on track to become the small screen's highest-paid star — and he's reveling in his success following his messy divorce. Tracker was renewed for a second season earlier this year in March.
'NCIS' has been a ratings champ since its 2003 debut.
"It's clear the network is concerned the show is sagging," said the source amid the NCIS reboot. "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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