#david stapf

[laf-outloud]

Glad to see that Anna, Jared, and the rest of Walker producers are recognized for doing practically the impossible with Season 4.

[positivexcellence]

Jared Padalecki To Star In Texas Medical Drama From Anna Fricke In ‘Walker’ Reunion At CBS

EXCLUSIVE: Walker star/executive producer Jared Padalecki has re-teamed with the CW series’ executive producer/showrunner Anna Fricke for a new drama project, which has been set up at CBS for development.

Like Walker, the untitled one-hour takes place in Padalecki’s home state of Texas, but instead of a ranger, he will now play a doctor. Unlike most medical dramas, which take place at big, urban hospitals, the Fricke/Padalecki project spotlights rural medicine, which is rarely seen on TV. It centers on a headstrong, devoted country doctor (Padalecki) who practices his unique style of improvisational medicine alongside his new protégé, a young doctor running from her past, as they operate a mobile clinic and heal the bodies and souls of their underserved community in the medical desert of rural Texas.

Fricke and Laura Terry executive produce through Fricke’s Pursued by a Bear alongside Padalecki and Dan Spilo. CBS Studios, where Fricke has an overall and Padalecki a first-look deal, is the studio.

The Fricke/Padalecki project does not impact the chances of Padalecki headlining a Fire Country spinoff after he did a three-episode arc on the popular CBS/CBS Studios drama this season. That offshoot, referred to as Fire Country: Surfside, is in early stages. It remains in contention to follow Fire Country‘s greenlighted spinoff, Sheriff Country, slated to premiere next season.

Additionally, Padalecki has projects in development at CBS Studios under his first-look deal there, which he re-upped last year.

In addition to headlining and executive producing CW/CBS Studios’ Walker, Padalecki also executive produced the prequel series Walker: Independence, working on both with Fricke who developed the former and co-developed the latter in addition to her services as executive producer on both and showrunner on Walker.

“Anna Fricke is a fantastic producer, and Jared is a great producer and lead; he was a really good number one,” CBS Studios President David Stapf said of the duo following Walker‘s cancellation after four seasons.

Padalecki, known for his starring role on the long-running drama Supernatural, is repped by UTA and Industry Entertainment.

Under her CBS Studios deal, Fricke also has in the works at NBC Look What You Made Me Do, a drama which she and Terry executive produce with Leila Cohan writing and executive producing. Fricke, whose series credits include 4400, Valor and Wayward Pines, is repped by UTA and Felker Toczek Suddleson.

Deadline

[ncisfranchise-source]

Among the three remaining dramas that are all on the bubble, NCIS: Hawai’i is the strongest performer with the best odds to come back, I hear.

Just an year ago, a renewal for Hawai’i would’ve been a no-brainer: it’s part of a storied franchise with solid rating and crossover potential with the mothership series that yielded big ratings in January 2023. But now, CBS already has three other NCIS series already locked for next season: the original series, renewed for Season 22, Sydney, returning for a second season, and the upcoming Young Gibbs prequel NCIS: Origins. There is also the Tony & Ziva NCIS spinoff series greenlighted by Paramount+, making for a crowded NCIS field.

There are strong arguments for keeping Hawai’i. It is currently #12 in linear viewership among all broadcast non-sports shows ahead of such TV staples as ABC’s 9-1-1 and NBC’s Law & Order: SVU and The Voice, and its multi-platform audience also is putting Hawai’i above several CBS dramas that already have been renewed, including FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International and S.W.A.T.

As CBS Studios President David Stapf said in a recent interview about the NCIS franchise, Hawai’i also is “wholly unique” while being part of the franchise as the first NCIS series with a female lead, Vanessa Lachey, and with its Hawai’i locale. “We were just coming off Hawaii Five-0, a very successful show,” he said of the spinoff’s origins. “People love that setting, it plays well over the globe.”

The counter argument is all about shelf space (or lack thereof) and money. There is financial pressure on corporate level among all traditional media companies to curb spending amid a soft ad market. For CBS parent Paramount, there is the additional element of uncertainty over the company’s future.

Sources expect tough business conversations over NCIS: Hawai’i, which is likely to have to make budget cuts to continue — something most broadcast series are subjected to these days. I hear the best case scenario for the spinoff may be a partial Season 4 of about 13 or so episodes.

[ncisladaily]

While NCIS started out as a spinoff of JAG, the series has unquestionably become an even bigger deal than its predecessor not only because it’s been running for over two decades, but because it spawned a procedural franchise, too. Six shows encompass the money-making NCIS-verse (not counting crossovers with non-NCIS shows), with the streaming-exclusive NCIS: Tony & Ziva also on the way, but the franchise wouldn’t have gotten as far as it has if NCIS: Los Angeles, the first of these spinoffs, not been successful. Amusingly enough, creator Shane Brennan explained how he came with the idea for Los Angeles completely off the cuff while he was pitching another show.

He told this story while chatting with Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo, the stars of the aforementioned NCIS: Tony & Ziva, on their podcast Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch. Brennan, who was a writer and executive producer on NCIS from 2007 to 2015, recalled how one day, he was with CBS Studios president David Stapf, and they were going to discuss an idea of Brennan’s that had nothing to do with NCIS whatsoever to Nina Tassler, the then-chairwoman of CBS Entertainment. While they were waiting to meet with Tassler, Brennan noticed an episode of NCIS playing on a nearby TV, which brings us to the first chunk of his story:

And I'm standing there and I sort of watched this episode, and I glanced across at David and said, ‘You know, that's one of the best episodes we made last season.’ David glanced up and looked at the screen, then he looked at me and said, ‘Think we could do a sequel?’ And I said, Yeah, I’ve got a spinoff.’ And he said, ‘What?’ And he dropped, he literally dropped his back. He's like, ‘What? You've got a spinoff?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ And he said, ‘Well, tell me about it.’ I said, ‘Well, no.’ He said, ‘Tell Nina. We’ll go in together and just just tell Nina and I'll listen and I'll keep nodding.’ I said, ‘No, David, you know, I'm here to pitch this other show. I can't pitch the spinoff, it's not in the head, it’s not fair. And he said, ‘Oh, ok, ok.’

So right then and there, Shane Brennan made it clear that even though he had an NCIS spinoff idea cooking, he didn’t feel comfortable talking about it since they were there to pitch this other show that Brennan didn’t identify. David Stapf, however, had other plans in mind, as Brennan laid out:

He sat there for a minute. He said, ‘Ah, I've got to go and see someone.’ So he gets up, goes in, obviously goes to see Nina, comes back out. We go in. I'm taking him to see Nina. Nina sits there and I pitched this other show I've got and she nods and smiles and she, ’It's wonderful. It's fantastic. And we get to the end of the pitch, and she says, ‘Well, David tells me you've got a spinoff of NCIS. And I said, ‘Yeah, I have.’ She said, ‘Could you tell me?’ I said, ‘Well, I can, but I don't think it's fair. I need to get it into the head again. I've come in and prepared for this pitch.’

So David Stapf went behind Shane Brennan’s back to let Nina Tassler know that Brennan had an idea for an NCIS spinoff. This likely happened sometime in the latter half of 2008 given that it was announced that November that Los Angeles’ two-part backdoor pilot would air during NCIS Season 6. When Cote de Pablo asked Brennan if he’d actually thought of a spinoff idea by that point or if he was just making this up as he was going along, he answered:

Hence the smirk. I didn't have a spinoff. I had nothing. I had that much [makes O symbol with his fingers]. I had 0% of 0. So Nina said, well just tell me what it's about. And I looked at her and and a word popped out of my head: undercover. She said, ‘I love undercover.’ And she said, ‘I want to hear it tomorrow. I said, ‘Ok, 3:00 tomorrow.’ I went home. I sat down, looked at my computer and wrote. And that night I wrote the pitch.

That mention of “undercover” ignited the spark that would become NCIS: Los Angeles, and the rest, as they say, is history. The two-part “Legend” introduced the world to characters like Chris O’Donnell’s G. Callen, LL Cool J’s Sam Hanna and Daniela Ruah’s Kensi Blye in late April and early May of 2009, and the following September, Los Angeles premiered on CBS. The spinoff came to an end in May 2023 after 14 seasons, although following its conclusion, LL Cool J reprised Sam in NCIS: Hawai’i, and Ruah briefly reprised Kensi in the NCIS franchise’s 1,000th episode.

It’s a good thing Shane Brennan decided to play along rather than wait until he had a fully-formed NCIS spinoff idea, otherwise it might have been a lot longer until the franchise got off the ground, if at all. Revisit the entirety of NCIS: Los Angeles with your Paramount+ subscription.

[justinsentertainmentcorner]

Michael Schnieder at Variety:

“The Talk” is going silent. CBS is ending the long-running daytime chat show, which will get an abbreviated final season (its 15th) this fall, before signing off for good with what it’s calling a “celebratory sendoff” in December. Rumors of the show’s end have been swirling for months, but CBS made it official to the show’s cast and crew on Friday morning. In a joint statement, CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach and CBS Studios prexy David Stapf said, “’The Talk’ broke new ground when it launched 14 years ago by returning daytime talk to CBS with a refreshing and award-winning format. Throughout the years, it has been a key program on CBS’ top rated daytime line-up as it brought timely, important and entertaining topics and discussions into living rooms around the globe.

CBS cancels The Talk after 15 seasons on the air. The show will end its time in December of 2024.

A replacement program hasn't been announced, but following the lead of NBC sending Days Of Our Lives to Peacock in order to air NBC News Daily, I wouldn't be surprised if CBS does something similar.

[allianceofrenewalchurches]

An Observation - Women's Liberation, Proverbs 31 Style

IRVIN STAPF <istapf@comcast.net>

Jan 6, 2025, 10:12 AM

to IRVIN, Ray, Angie, Ashley, B.G.,��Meryl, bjgladhill, Doug, bookman9704@comcast.net, brian.gray.vt@gmail.com, Matt, Carilee, carolynashriver, Carrie, Frank, Terry, Curtis, Jennifer, John, Daniel, Dean, Art, dorian.gorevin@gmail.com, drandrewwilliamson@gmail.com, Tom, emily.stapf00@gmail.com, Connie, Helen, Bruce, Roland, Zach, Grace, Al, John, Kris, Jonathan, JOSEPH, Jude, Merv, Brian, Cary, Laura, Matt, Deborah, Debbie, Mimiy, Jennifer, Paul, Bob, Connie, Thiel, Rebekah, sendmenojunkmailok@yahoo.com, Larry, Stephen, stapf2nd@gmail.com, me, Michael, Terry

Let me tell you of some Proverbs 31 women. This chapter in the Book of Proverbs speaks of the virtue, abilities, talents, and beauty that women can possess. The whole issue of men's and women's rolls in scripture is often discussed, and at time railed against by the women's liberation movement. But this advice by the mother of King Lemuel sets things in the right order and truly elevates the image of a Godly woman. 

First, King Lemuel is mentioned nowhere else in scripture. However, Strong's Concordance points our that Lemuel is a Hebrew word that is related to words that mean "belonging to God" and is a symbolic name of Solomon. Further, Jewish legend identifies him as Solomon, taking advise from his mother Bathsheba, though there is no clear evidence for this. Solomon is the author of the book of Proverbs, and it seems to me that both parts of this 31st chapter should be included as one. Verses 1 to 9 are not separated from verses 10 through 31. They all become a description of God's intended rolls for men and women. 

Let me deal with a couple of side issues, though sometimes prominent, that can get in the way. If Lemuel is identified as Solomon, which seems likely to me, Solomon is said to have had many wives and concubines. Also, Solomon's mother was Bathsheba who was a married woman take in adultery by Solomon's father, David after he murdered Bathsheba's husband. Quite a mess, and not one out of which we would expect any good and Godly advice. It is important to understand that these things happened with God continuing to use people involved does not indicate our Lord's approval for their life's choices, They were clearly sinful. David recognized this and repented. This is the context of David's Psalm 51 as he cries out to the Lord for mercy. Further, Solomon's love poem in the book Song of Songs, or Song of Solomon, speaks to one particular woman, the Shulammite, to whom he is devoted. This love poem has also been taken as Christ's love for the Church.

There is great hope for us in this. For all have sinned an fall sort of the Glory of God as St. Paul says in Romans Chapter three ....21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all [f]and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (NKJV)  In their repentance God was able to continue using them to do His will, and they ultimately became forbearers of our Lord Jesus.

Ah! But now let me get back to the Proverbs 31 advice. Of this wise and energetic woman it says that "Her husband is known in the gates as he sits among the elders of the land."(vs.23) He seems to be having a good time with his friends while his wife does all the works! But the gates of the city were a place of leadership, protection, and order. This was his task. He was not just sharing a drink with his buddies. This is what the King's mother cautions him about in verses 3 to 5. His heart and all of his strength is given to being sure that his wife and family was properly guided, protected, and free to carry on her duties. His love is always with her. (vs.28) 

Look at all she is doing!  Verse 10 begins with a commendation; "an excellent wife.... her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trust her. She does him good... all the days of her life."(vss.10-12) Then her activities: she seek out materials to work with her hands; she brings her food from afar providing for her household and those under her; she is able to judge  values and purchase property to plant a vineyard; she is wise, strong and generous; and has a sense of security. She is a lovely woman and along with all her attributes strength and dignity are her clothing. Her speech is wise and she oversee all that is involved with her household. This is a tremendous commendation for the abilities of a godly woman. There is no lack of dignity, ability or beauty in this description of a woman. There is nothing lacking that a woman's liberation movement could add. The only distinction is that her life and her joy is established for the good of her husband, her children, her household and the community around her. She isn't seeking to make a name for herself but to honor the Lord in all she does.

In Genesis chapter one God created the man and the woman. He established the monogamous marriage bond, essentiality creating the home and family. That is the natural structure intended for our life and growth on earth. [That doesn't mean that a life of singleness is wrong either for a man or woman, but that is a whole other topic.] The point here that is carried through both Testaments is that of proper order. This gets to the terms the modern world has confused and rejected, headship and submission. But this also is part of the image of God given to man and woman in their creation. There is headship and submission within the Holy Trinity. We confess for example, in the Apostle's Creed that the "Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son and with the Father and Son is worshipped and glorified". Further, Jesus is clear about His relationship with the Father explaining to the Jewish leaders in John 5:19 and following that He only does what He sees the Father doing. The Holy Trinity is truly one, co-equal, and co-eternal. The three are one true God, but the principle of headship and submission still function among them. There is no sense of one being more important than the others, or more value or dignity than the others. So it is intended to be reflected in marriage. 

So, while there are far fewer verses about the man's virtues in Proverbs 31 his task is established and important. I wrote earlier that his sitting with the elders in the gates of the city was a place of leadership, protection, and order. I would also include something I consider of utmost importance, as it has always been but is especially in our times. That is of solid Biblical values and understanding. The man is responsible for sharing God's truth and correction with his family. This principle is supported throughout scripture. It is why God first gave the command not to eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil to Adam who later conveyed it to Eve. What this means is that the Father is responsible for studying scripture, praying for his family, and deepening his own relationship with his Heavenly Father, to whom he is called to submit.

This Biblical order for man, woman, and family is the best and most joy-filled plan for living. It is difficult! Keep in mind the rebellion of our first parents which we inherited and are all by nature sinful and unclean. Too often we act and react out of that nature. We are also ignorant of the full satisfaction that our proper place can bring. Thus, we are called to repent before God, depending on the cleansing blood of our Saviour, Jesus the Christ. We should also, when needed, be willing to humble ourselves before our mate or children asking their forgiveness. It is in this that we can grow more firmly as one in the image of God.

I am old, which allows me the perspective of many years. Also, my share of failures needing to ask forgiveness and to forgive. But I wanted to share what I've seen in my family and church congregation. Particularly about the Proverbs 31 woman.

First, let me mention the names of Mildred who gave me a solid start while providing a portion of the family income and caring for an Alzheimers stricken husband for the last 15 years of his life, and Ruth who gave me my dear wife after raising her three other children, getting her college degrees, and supporting herself and family, all after her husband was killed on duty with the Baltimore City police force.  I will go on to name Audrey, Helen, Janice, Jeane, Carolyn, Jan, Meryl, Carol, Jane, and I apologize if my memory has failed to bring up any others. These are strong capable women who are the back bone of our fellowship. They are spiritually grounded prayer warriors. They have already given a start to the next generation of Proverbs 31 women who have take their place in the fellowship. And they are praying for the third and fourth generations of their offspring. To these could be added dozens upon dozens of other women in our larger church body and the churches we are affiliated with. There is nothing that women's liberation could add to them.

While the scriptural order of headship and submission is essential we never indicate that one is greater or lesser than the other. Nothing is demeaning or of lesser value in God's order. All is of God's perfect plan. It is our part to continually seek and find.

“Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.” (Prov. 31:29 - NKJV)

[laf-outloud]

https://www.tumblr.com/laf-outloud/764453847463821312/as-jared-padalecki-joins-fire-country-max

I love how casually they're like, yea CBS studios president? Big JP fan! lol

Right? I'm pretty sure every actor would love to have a studio president as their fan!

[ncisfranchise-source]

The NCIS franchise will be airing its 1,000th episode on April 15, and CBS Studios President David Stapf has been involved in every single one of them. Because he was head of CBS current programming at the time, he even participated in the development of the mothership series from Day 1 because it originated as two back-door pilot episodes of an existing show, JAG, that aired in April 2003. He was in on all casting sessions and still remembers Pauley Perrette’s audition that won her the role of Abby in the room.

Scheduled against then-Fox juggernaut American Idol, NCIS, about a little known branch of the U.S. military, got off to an inauspicious start, finishing its first season ranked #26. By Season 7, it was the most watched TV drama, holding its own against Idol, and became the most watched program overall three seasons later while also ruling syndication.

CBS’ Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach has been with the show since Season 8 when she was assigned as the day-to-day current executive on the drama and quickly became a fan. At the time NCIS had already spawned one spinoff, NCIS: LA. It was followed by NCIS: New Orleans in 2014; the franchise’s first female-led offshoot NCIS: Hawai’i in 2021; the first international installment, NCIS: Sydney, last year; as well as the upcoming prequel NCIS: Origins for CBS, executive produced and narrated by Mark Harmon and starring Austin Stowell as Leroy Jethro Gibbs in the 1990s; and an Europe-set Tony & Ziva spinoff for Paramount+, starring NCIS alums Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo.

The latest pickups make NCIS the largest procedural franchise ever with five current series. They also will help grow the franchise’s global audience, estimated to be more than 300 million viewers in 2023 by producer CBS Studios, which has licensed it in over 200 markets, and the franchise’s staggering current U.S. tally of 4.37 trillion minutes viewed.

In an interview with Deadline, Stapf and Reisenbach, who was promoted to the CBS Entertainment president post in November 2022, discuss expanding the NCIS universe, how the latest additions came about and potential crossovers. They provide an update on the Tony & Ziva spinoff’s title, production start date and possible cast additions, and on the renewal status for NCIS and NCIS: Hawai’i. The duo also address the prospects for Mark Harmon to appear on NCIS or Origins and for a potential Perrette and Scott Bakula return to the franchise, share plans for further NCIS installments, and how big the franchise can get.

DEADLINE: NCIS: Sydney just got picked up yesterday for a second season. What about NCIS and NCIS Hawai’i? Are you already working on their renewals?

REISENBACH: Like we talked about it a couple months ago, NCIS is a cornerstone of our schedule. The actors love doing it, and the writers continue to fire on all cylinders. As far as the future, we’re thrilled to have them on the air and they want to keep doing it, so we’re going to keep doing it.

DEADLINE: So it’s looking good for NCIS and Hawai’i to come back next season?

REISENBACH: It’s still only March, and we haven’t made all of our deals and decision-making so it’s a little early to officially confirm anything.

DEADLINE: Sydney was used as strike contingency last fall. What was the impetus to bring it back to CBS with the strike over? Are you going to use it as a summer series?

REISENBACH: I can’t tell you where it’s going to air yet because we haven’t figured that out to be honest. Again, that’s sort of the too soon to tell category. But the show resonated, it was the number one show until we brought back the rest of the schedule. It came on and did really well without much of our launch platform.

We had a great launch campaign for it, if you remember, we did these amazing upside-down promos during football that got a lot of attention. So I think just the fact that it launched with very little original programming surrounding it and did so well, it has earned a spot back on the schedule at some point for sure.

DEADLINE: In expanding the NCIS franchise, you originally took the traditional route, replicating the general formula in a new location with LA and New Orleans. Then in close succession, you ordered Hawai’i and Australia-set Sydney, which have a similar setup, followed by the pickups of prequel Origins and the Tony and Ziva spinoff this year. When did that accelerated expansion master plan start and where are we in it right now?

STAPF: The master plan started a long time ago. We had NCIS. It certainly worked well enough to spawn a spinoff, LA, which also worked really well, that was on for 13 years, I think that show doesn’t get the credit it deserves as expanding the franchise but also deepening the love of the franchise for viewers.

We knew and always wanted to expand it, but when you’re dealing with a franchise, you don’t want to oversaturate the market, you don’t want to dilute the value of each individual show. So it really comes down to somebody coming in with an idea for a show that could stand on its own and could be part of the franchise but is wholly unique from any of the others. Hawai’i certainly did that in the way that it was unique, a female lead, set in Hawaii. We were just coming off Hawaii Five-0, a very successful show. People love that setting, it plays well over the globe.

REISENBACH: There is a big military presence too in Hawaii that makes sense.

STAPF: Sydney certainly was not intended for the States. The strike afforded the network the ability to utilize it but that was going to be P+ Australia and Network 10. I would love to say we didn’t get lucky, that it was planned, we knew it was going to be as great as it is. But we got lucky, that show is really well done. It very much has the DNA of what makes NCIS work, humor, family, etc.

In the case of Origins, Mark and Sean Harman had this idea with [writers] David North and Gina Monreal, and they brought it to us. I was like, oh my gosh, this idea is great. Commissioned a script, the script was even better. So it’s like, okay, can this show exist within the framework of the franchise we have? And we do believe it can, particularly because it’s a prequel. And because NCIS has been on for so long and Mark’s been gone for a while, there’s genuine interest in, how did Gibbs become Gibbs, who was that guy? So again, there was an organic reason to do it vs. us just saying, let’s just throw on another NCIS.

Tony and Ziva, it’s one of the most unrequited love stories for the audience, the audience loved Tony and Ziva. And in the audience’s mind, and in our mind, they left too soon. So, reuniting them with a global audience is the intent on that show. And because it’s going to be on Paramount+, it can exist within the universe without, in our minds, cannibalizing anything else.

REISENBACH: I would also add just two things to that. One, I think that [CBS President and CEO] George Cheeks arriving [in 2020], he really embraced the show and saw the potential and immediately identified that as an area to be looking at when opportunities arise. And I think the [NCIS-LA-Hawai’i] three-way crossover we did, the fact that it was so successful for us. The fans loved it so much and the actors and the writers loved doing it, and it showed that they love the opportunity to see these worlds and these characters collide.

DEADLINE: You mentioned how Origins came about but not the Tony and Ziva spinoff. How did it originate?

STAPF: Michael and Cote have been talking about this show for years and years and years. So they were the ones that cooked up the rough edges of the idea, went to [writer] John McNamara, along with us, saying, we’d love to do this show. And the timing was right.

DEADLINE: Did that happen after the end of Michael’s other CBS show, Bull?

STAPF: They had started talking about it before, somewhere after they had both left NCIS. Put yourself in their shoes. They’re constantly getting hit up by fans as to, oh my god, I miss you. When are you going to be back together, what happened to your child and all that stuff. And so, again, I keep saying it but there was an organic reason for this show to exist, it was almost like a fan demand for it.

DEADLINE: You mentioned that they may have left too soon. Why did they leave so soon?

STAPF: In the fans’ minds. They would want them on for a 100 years.

REISENBACH: Well, both of them were on the show a long time.

STAPF: A really, really long time.

DEADLINE: Do we have a title for the Tony and Ziva spinoff yet?

STAPF: Not yet.

DEADLINE: Amy, are you jealous that the spinoff didn’t come to CBS?

REISENBACH: Hm, jealous? Yeah, a little bit, I’m not going to lie, sure. I’m a Tiva fan like everyone else. BTW, the phrase Tiva was one of the original couple names that ever existed, I don’t think we get enough credit for that.

But we all work together. We are all one ecosystem, and I have no doubt that Origins and the shows that live on the network will drive viewers over at P+ and likewise their show will send them back our way, and that’s what matters most, that people are watching it and I think, it’s such a treat for the fans no matter wherever it airs.

DEADLINE: Was there even a conversation for the spinoff to air on CBS or was it always supposed to be a Paramount+ show?

STAPF: No, it was always designed to be a streaming show.

DEADLINE: Would the premiere at least air on CBS in the tradition of P+ shows with CBS history such as Star Trek: Discovery or SEAL Team?

STAPF: It’s a good question. We haven’t dealt with it yet. We don’t start shooting until summer so I’ll start annoying Amy with that sometime this summer.

DEADLINE: Is there a possibility for other former NCIS cast members to join Michael Weatherly and Code de Pablo in the new series?

STAPF: In all honesty, as it’s designed now, no, but never say never.

DEADLINE: This is your second internationally-based NCIS spinoff after Sydney, which is interesting since NCIS is a unit of the U.S. military that does not exist abroad. You found two different ways to extend the franchise beyond the U.S. Do you have ideas for more offshoots in other areas of the world and how are you going to pull that off?

STAPF: There could be but we don’t look at the setting or the geographical location determining what the story should be. It’s more about what’s a good story to tell, where would this organically happen? We’re constantly fielding pitches and coming up with ideas of our own. But you don’t want to rush anything, you want to get it right. You certainly don’t want to, like I said before, dilute the shows that are on by having too much on or having any that are on that aren’t of the quality of the rest of them.

DEADLINE: Do you have anything currently in development in the NCIS universe?

STAPF: Nothing that’s close enough to talk about.

DEADLINE: But in the plan, is there a timetable about maybe adding a new series to the universe every couple of years? You’ve announced four in the past three years.

STAPF: If it organically comes about, and there’s a reason for that show to exist, then yes. But we’re not looking at it as a math problem of, we want two every four years…

REISENBACH: It’s not like when they announced Star Wars and they said, there’ll be a new Star Wars movie every year. We don’t have a plan like that.

STAPF: We don’t want a plan like that.

DEADLINE: Amy mentioned the success of the three-way crossover. What are the possibilities, particularly for the Tony and Ziva show, to be part of NCIS crossovers? Can they appear on NCIS? Michael recently did a cameo in the David McCallum tribute episode. Was it tied to his work on the spinoff?

REISENBACH: I can speak to the cameo. That was just Michael wanting to honor David McCallum, and we thought it was important as well to make sure that we tied in iconic characters like that. He just wanted to show up and was game to do it because of his love of the show.

STAPF: And his love for David. it was such a nice moment for the fans too.

DEADLINE: And in terms of potential crossovers?

STAPF: There could be. We’re not there yet, writers room just started on Tony and Ziva.

REISENBACH: With Origins, I don’t see a possibility because it takes place in the past but we’re always looking for opportunities. It was obviously a shortened season, so it was tough to do that [with NCIS and Hawai’i] this year. Otherwise we would have. We’ll keep looking for those opportunities for sure.

DEADLINE: On Origins, Mark Harmon is an executive producer and a narrator. He could appear in flash-forwards. Is this something that’s you’re considering? And is there a possibility for Mark to return to NCIS one day?

REISENBACH: The door for Mark is always open, It’s really up to him. In terms of flash-forwards, I don’t think it’s something we’ve talked about, that doesn’t feel like the DNA of that show to me, at least right now. But you never know, when we’re in Season 10, we’re taking creative risks and having fun. So if that’s something Gina and David wanted to tackle down the road, we’d be open to it.

DEADLINE: You have brought back a few actors from other NCIS shows, LA‘s LL Cool J is now on Hawai’i. Is this something that you’re planning to continue, keeping the universe going? Can we see New Orleans‘ Scott Bakula pop up somewhere; we haven’t seen him in a couple of years.

STAPF: It’s really writer-driven. As Amy said, we’re open to anything and everything. So if any of the writers have a good idea, and it feels organic, and more on story and make sense versus just doing it to do a stunt, sure, we are open to it.

REISENBACH: [LA‘s] Daniela [Ruah] has been directing, she started directing on LA, she’s directing on Hawai’i and NCIS mothership this year as well. I think when you get into this universe and become a part of the family, we’re always happy to have you back in any capacity.

DEADLINE: What about Pauley? Is there a possibility for her either returning to NCIS or you doing a new show around her character Abby the way you treated Tony and Ziva?

STAPF: Not a bad idea. We haven’t talked about it or thought about it. We love Pauley, and she’s always welcome in any of the NCIS franchise, but it hasn’t come to us from the writers and/or from her. I kind of was kidding when I said, it’s not a bad idea but it’s genuinely not a bad idea, she was a beloved character.

DEADLINE: NCIS was a late bloomer, rising to the top of the rankings later in its run. It seems like it was one of those shows that just stuck around, something that maybe wouldn’t have happened in today’s environment when shows get canceled much faster.

STAPF: Except it was around its second or third season, Armando Nuñez, our head of distribution, called me and said, are you noticing what’s going on with NCIS internationally? I was like, no, that’s your job. And he said, it’s exploding. Every market it was in, it was doing extraordinarily well. It was selling really well, which was always a surprise to me because it’s about a unit of the military that nobody had ever really heard of. And it was a very American military [show] so I figured it’s not going to work over there, but it did.

So it was a bigger hit globally than it was in the U.S., and the U.S. sort of trailed it. It really started to take off — maybe it wasn’t number one — but it climbed in the ratings precipitously. I think in year four or five, it became hey, this show is doing something.

DEADLINE: Over the years, NCIS has dealt with major cast departures, including Mark Harmon, the deaths of showrunner Gary Glasberg and David McCallum, behind-the-scene changes. To what do you attribute the longevity of show which continues to be at the top of the ratings?

REISENBACH: For me, I attribute it to the fact that there’s always been a core feeling that the people who write the show, the people who produce it, the crew and the actors, no matter whether they were there from the beginning or not, they understand the DNA of the show, and they’ve always stayed true to that.

Nobody who’s come in has ever been like, oh, well now I need to fix it. Everyone understood it’s a concept that works, it’s characters that work. And it’s not about those specific characters, but the type of characters and the specificity of the characters and the love that these characters show each other so openly that I think has transcended, no matter who’s running the show, or who’s been on the show at any given time.

STAPF: It’s sort of wish fulfillment TV. You want to know that there are people like this in the world that have your back from a law enforcement agency angle, but it’s also a fun workplace show, and the bond that they have and the sh*t that they give each other and the way that they interact, is comforting.

The show has a ton of heart, humor, always has a good mystery. And I think there’s something comforting to, the bad guys are always identified and put down by the good guys or our guys. And that happens on an episodic basis. I think that the comfort of that has hit the right chord with the audiences for 21 years and will continue on for another 20 years or something. I honestly believe this franchise will never get stale.

REISENBACH: I think being in Season 21 doesn’t lower the degree of difficulty. If anything, it makes it harder. They’ve got 400-plus episodes behind them of quality shows, and the fact that they continue to hold themselves up to such a high standard. As long as they’re shooting for the stars — and all the shows really are — we want to keep doing them.

DEADLINE: Do you have a dream NCIS spinoff? What do you want to see from the universe going forward?

STAPF: Just that it continues to resonate like it is. There’s a stat like 300 million people watched an NCIS last year. Clearly, globally, it’s resonating with viewers. So to continue that, the level of quality on the shows, along with pleasing and garnering the audience that we’re getting. And it’s kind of fun. It’s wild to think that there’s five NCIS series.

REISENBACH: But also unique.

STAPF: Exactly.

DEADLINE: Is five as big as it gets in terms of how many NCISs you can sustain at the same time?

STAPF: Not necessarily. It will come down to the individual shows that we develop. I think if there’s the right timing and fit within the universe, then it doesn’t have to be limited to five.

REISENBACH: We are always asking and challenging not only the writers who are pitching to us but ourselves, why now? Why does it need to exist, what feels fresh?

DEADLINE: So what is the goal? The NCIS franchise is hitting 1,000 episodes. Do you think you can get to 2,000?

STAPF: For me the goal is that in 10 years, there’s other people sitting in our seats that are watching over NCIS.

REISENBACH: Where am I going? I just got this job.

STAPF: OK, in 20 years.

[blogger360ncislarules]

EXCLUSIVE: The upcoming 14th season of CBS‘ venerable cop family drama Blue Bloods will be its last. The popular series starring Tom Selleck is getting an extended farewell with a two-part final season which will consist of 18 episodes, Deadline has learned. The first 10 will air this coming midseason, premiering on CBS Feb. 16 and streaming live on Paramount+; the remaining 8 will run in fall 2024.

Coming off a double Hollywood strike that reduced the sizes of the 2023-24 scripted seasons to 10-13 episodes each — with a number of CBS shows only doing 10 — the network is giving two of its top series that are coming to an end, Blue Bloods and Young Sheldon, a proper sendoff with expanded final seasons. As Deadline reported last week, the Big Bang Theory prequel’s seventh and final season will be comprised of 14 episodes.

Blue Bloods, about multiple generations of the Reagan family workin in New York law enforcement, is leaving while still on top. A long-time anchor to CBS’ formidable Friday night lineup, it was the most watched primetime program of the night last season and the #3 most watched broadcast drama with 9.54 million viewers (more than 11 million viewers an episode after +35-day multiplatform viewing.) Blue Bloods, produced by CBS Studios, has won its Friday 10 PM time slot in total viewers every season since the series’ 2010 launch.

“Blue Bloods will forever be a beloved part of CBS’s legacy. It ruled Friday nights with unprecedented dominance since its premiere and established itself as a pillar of our winning lineup with an exceptionally devoted fan base,” Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment and David Stapf, President, CBS Studios, said in a joint statement.

The two executives acknowledged the series’ star and executive producer Selleck, the late Blue Bloods executive producer Leonard Goldberg, who died in 2019, and writer/executive producer Kevin Wade, who has been on the show since midway through the first season and showrunner since Season 2. They also referenced a Blue Bloods fixture, the Reagan’s weekly Sunday dinner, which is at the heart of each episode.

“We’ll be forever grateful to the legendary Leonard Goldberg for developing this signature series and to the amazing cast led by Tom Selleck, who America embraced as family and watched as welcomed guests at the Reagan dinner table,” Reisenbach and Stapf said. “We also sincerely thank the incredible writing and producing teams guided by executive producer Kevin Wade, for years of compelling episodes as they conceive this final chapter that we expect to be the most satisfying season yet for our loyal viewers.”

As Deadline reported extensively earlier this year, Blue Bloods’ March renewal followed difficult negotiations, with CBS asking for significant budget cuts — 25% for above-the-line talent, including actors — amid increased fiscal scrutiny in the media business and a push to contain production costs. The cast and producers ultimately agreed to the salary reductions in order to keep the show going and keep hundreds of crew and other support personnel employed.

The March renewal came with a presumption that Season 14 would be likely the series’ last, sources said. When the Blue Bloods writers reconvened in early October following the end of the WGA strike, they started crafting the upcoming season as a potential final chapter, I hear. The decision to end Blue Bloods was solidified after the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike when the size of the order was determined and the idea to split it into two parts came about.

Blue Bloods, which has aired 275 episodes in its 13 seasons to date, will end its run with 293 episodes. With its 14 seasons, it ranks among the ten longest-running CBS scripted series ever. Selleck leads a cast that also includes Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou, Marisa Ramirez and Vanessa Ray.

“For the past 13 years it has been an honor and a privilege to work on a show that not only celebrates the men and women who protect and serve in New York City, but also displayed the importance of family,” Selleck said. “Working alongside these incredible actors, writers, producers, directors and crew has been a dream come true and I’m grateful to have been a part of this extraordinary group for over 275 episodes. Thank you to CBS Studios and CBS Network for their steadfast support and we offer heartfelt gratitude to the fans who gathered with us for dinner every Friday night.”

Blue Bloods ranks in the top 10 for series on Paramount+ based on minutes viewed, and for viewed channels on Pluto TV. With strong performances on CBS, streaming (including a run on Netflix), in syndication and internationally, the drama, executive produced by Wade, Siobhan Byrne-O’Connor, Ian Biederman and Dan Truly, has become a key asset for the company over the past decade and a half.

“It has been a tremendous privilege these past 13 years to fill the huge canvas that Leonard Goldberg imagined; a police procedural told from the point of view of four generations of a close-knit, fiercely loyal family. Blue Bloods will leave behind an enduring legacy that was collectively achieved by our extraordinary cast, our talented and tirelessly inventive writers, and the best crew in the business,” Wade said. “CBS Studios and the CBS Television Network encouraged us to tell our stories in multi-layered narratives that have gone on to resonate with millions of people, and we thank them for their unwavering partnership and collaboration. We look forward to giving fans an exciting and emotionally satisfying final season, and we are forever grateful for their enthusiasm and their loyalty over all these years.”

[loveallthegays]

‘Diary of a Future President’ Renewed For Season 2 At Disney+

Disney+ has handed teen drama Diary of a Future President a second season.

The streaming service has ordered another ten-part run of the series, which is comes from exec producer Gina Rodriguez and creator Ilana Peña, from CBS Television Studios and I Can and I Will Productions.

The series follows the adventures of Elena Cañero-Reed as she navigates the ups and downs of middle school on her journey to become the future president of the United States. It stars Tess Romero as Elena, as well as Charlie Bushnell, Selenis Leyva and Michael Weaver.

“Optimistic, heartfelt stories that inspire are fundamental to our content and creator Ilana Peña’s series delivers on these attributes in spades,” says Agnes Chu, senior vice president, Content, Disney+. “Families around the world have fallen in love with Elena and the Cañero-Reed family and we are thrilled to bring Elena’s often hilarious and always meaningful journey through adolescence back for another season. It has been wonderful to partner with the extraordinary Gina Rodriguez to champion specific, diverse points-of-view and we look forward to seeing even more of President Cañero-Reed in this next chapter.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Disney+ on a series that showcases strong women both in front of, and behind the camera.  They’ve been incredible champions of the show from day one,” added David Stapf, president, CBS Television Studios. “Gina’s ability to shepherd projects with new and diverse voices, combined with Ilana’s effortless blend of comedy and drama with humor and sensitivity bring this wonderful coming-of-age story to life.”