NCIS star gives absolutely thrilling update on release of Tony and Ziva spinoff

Michael Weatherly just elevated our excitement for the singular series.

L-R Cote de Pablo as Ziva David and Michael Weatherly as Tony Dinozzo for NCIS: Tony & Ziva Season 1, streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Marcell Piti/Paramount+

NCIS hit a bit of a roadbump when it canceled its Hawai’i spinoff in 2024. The cancelation came right on the heels of NCIS: Los Angeles going off the air (tough run for LL Cool J) and seemed to suggest that the franchise was not as strong as fans may have been led to believe. This has proven not to be the case in the last 12 months.

NCIS has continued to thrive and in new and exciting ways. NCIS: Sydney has broadened the global reach of the franchise, Origins has provided fans with the first ever NCIS prequel series, and then we have Tony and Ziva to look forward to. Tony and Ziva will mark another first, a sequel series that is a direct continuation of characters we met in the flagship show.

Michael Weatherly hinted at a December release

We’ve been waiting on a Tony and Ziva update for months, and while it’s not an official announcement, we did finally get from star Michael Weatherly on social media. The actor took to Twitter at the start of April to answer a fan question about the impending spinoff. He did not given an exact release date for the series, but he did allude to a time of year in which we can expect to see it. And it’s soon.

“Oh hi-ho! It’s so, so… close to nearly being a thing we can show,” Weatherly tweeted. “But do you why Doctors are so good at golf? They have lots of Patients.” The actor then tipped his hand, and made it clear that Tony and Ziva is being fast tracked for completion. “But not like crazy patience. Like, normal patience with surprises that make you happy. Like Xmas Patience.”

The spinoff will be set throughout Europe

“Extreme Prejudice” — Harper Dearing’s latest act of terrorism ripped through NCIS headquarters in last season’s cliffhanger finale, sparking a cross-agency manhunt for the criminal mastermind on the 10th season premiere of NCIS, Tuesday, Sept. 25 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured left to right: Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS ©2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

There you have it. Tony and Ziva may not have a certified CBS release date, but Weatherly made it as clear as he possibly could than we could expect to see the first episode of the anticipated spinoff in or around the holidays. At the rate we were getting information, we were fully expecting the show to be pushed back to 2026.

We know the series wrapped production in February, and we have already been given the rundown on the premise, which will see Tony (Weatherly) and Ziva (Cote de Pablo) “flee across Europe” as they try to “uncover who is after them and to rebuild their trust in each other.” The couple’s daughter will also be in the mix, lending a distinct wrinkle to the dynamic they had for the bulk of NCIS proper.