One of the most rewarding aspects of fans keeping up with “NCIS” over the years is seeing the romance between Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) play out. It’s the pairing “NCIS” fans love to see most, and while the couple exited the mainline series, they’re finally getting their own spinoff, titled “NCIS: Tony & Ziva.” Although fans may be disappointed that the series is airing on Paramount+ instead of CBS, there’s a reason why the show is getting separated from other entries in the franchise.
CBS president and CEO George Cheeks told Vulture about the decision, “The Weatherly project really felt more like a serialized streaming show, and also was an example of us trying to expand the aperture of ‘NCIS,’ which is what we did with ‘Criminal Minds’ on Paramount+. The whole goal here is to look at each potential creative execution and figure out where we think it ultimately should land.” Cheeks also compared “Tony & Ziva” to another spinoff, “NCIS: Origins,” which follows a 30-something Gibbs (Austin Stowell) just as he’s beginning his career in the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Cheeks added that “Origins” felt like a standard network procedural, whereas “Tony & Ziva” seems more like the kind of serialized show more often found on streaming.
Cheeks also referenced “Criminal Minds,” which began on CBS before moving to Paramount+ and getting retitled “Criminal Minds: Evolution.” But that’s just one show. Are people willing to flip back and forth between CBS and Paramount+ for all things “NCIS”?
Can NCIS: Tony & Ziva find success on Paramount+?
A more cynical interpretation of the decision to put “NCIS: Tony & Ziva” on Paramount+ is to get people who aren’t already subscribed to the platform to sign up. It’s already the streaming hub of all things “NCIS,” but a new original series might be the ticket to get folks to stick around. Still, there’s the question of whether people will even be aware or have the desire to watch a full serialized show centered on these characters.
“NCIS: Origins” premiered on CBS in October 2024 to an impressive 5.028 million viewers. However, people tuned out as the series went on, and the Season 1 finale, “Cecilia,” only clocked 3.865 million viewers. It was still enough for the show to garner a second season renewal, but it trailed behind the primary “NCIS,” which had 5.589 million viewers for its Season 22 finale. Considering that “Tony & Ziva” is on a completely different platform — meaning a lot of fans may have no clue it’s even airing new episodes — there’s a chance it could face significantly lower numbers upon its arrival.
Then again, since it’s airing on Paramount+, “Tony & Ziva” may not need to hit those same numbers and can also be darker than “NCIS.” The main CBS series regularly deals with death and dark subject matter, but “Tony & Ziva” could go even further, which may not appeal to as many people. Looper didn’t have many kind words in its review of “NCIS: Tony & Ziva,” referring to it as “bad fan fiction,” but audiences can make up their own minds when the show premieres on Paramount+ on September 4.