'NCIS': Will Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette be back?

[phrelin]

It's that time of year - actor contract negotiations time. From Deadline Hollywood (http://www.deadline.com/2010/04/quartet-of-ncis-co-stars-in-limbo/): CBS’ top drama series, NCIS, will no doubt be back for an eighth season, but what about the cast? While star Mark Harmon, who is also a producer on the show, is locked in, the four other original cast members, Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum and Sean Murray (he started off as a recurring in season 1), have no deals beyond the current seventh season. And from what I hear, talks between the actors and CBS TV Studios, which produces the hit procedural, have slowed down with the two sides far apart on the money. My understanding is that the studio went to the cast members with pretty low-ball offers, leading to the impasse.

At least a couple of the quartet are making well under $100,000 per episode, which is low for a hit seven-year-old series.While I recognize no one knows if the show will be the most watched series on TV next year, I think CBS may have a more significant problem on this one than they did awhile back on the "CSI" thing awhile back. "NCIS" without Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum and Sean Murray is a huge audience waiting to change channels IMHO.

[LarryFlowers]

It's that time of year - actor contract negotiations time. From Deadline Hollywood (http://www.deadline.com/2010/04/quartet-of-ncis-co-stars-in-limbo/): While I recognize no one knows if the show will be the most watched series on TV next year, I think CBS may have a more significant problem on this one than they did awhile back on the "CSI" thing awhile back. "NCIS" without Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum and Sean Murray is a huge audience waiting to change channels IMHO.

Deadline Hollywood is making a big deal out of nothing... the negotiations have just started and of course CBS low balled their first offer.

CBS will find a way to make their stars happy, the show is a big draw on their schedule.

Update: David McCallum has already settled his contract.

Interesting to note, David McCullum will be 77 years old this year and has been steadily employed as an actor since 1957... 53 years... my first exposure to him was in the "Man From U.N.C.L.E." (1964) tv series, though I later spotted him in the movie "A Night to Remember" (1958) playing a telegraph operator on the Titanic.

Ducky is a wonderful role for him.

[Wire Paladin]

Interesting to note, David McCullum will be 77 years old this year and has been steadily employed as an actor since 1957... 53 years... my first exposure to him was in the "Man From U.N.C.L.E." (1964) tv series, though I later spotted him in the movie "A Night to Remember" (1958) playing a telegraph operator on the Titanic.


And don't forget, he was also in the "The Great Escape".:)

[scooper]

CBS would have to be total idiots to not get this done - this is just the first step.

[Sharkie_Fan]

While I recognize no one knows if the show will be the most watched series on TV next year, I think CBS may have a more significant problem on this one than they did awhile back on the "CSI" thing awhile back. "NCIS" without Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum and Sean Murray is a huge audience waiting to change channels IMHO.

I agree with you 100%, and unless CBS is run by a bunch of mindless baboons, they have to know that as well.

I think the problem is not so much the prospect of losing any of those characters. But to lose two or three or all four of them would spell disaster for the show, IMO.

I'm pretty sure that something will get done... even if it ends up being an 11th hour type of thing. The networks are stupid (IMO), but they can't be THAT stupid, can they? ;)

[BattleZone]

The show could survive without DiNozo, but without Abby, it's done.

[Sharkie_Fan]

The show could survive without DiNozo, but without Abby, it's done.

I think Abby might be the biggest loss of the four, for sure.

But I think (speaking in hypotheticals, cause I don't think it will happen) if they wrote the character off right, they could get away with losing one of those characters, even if it was Abby.

Writing off two characters would be sketchy, IMO. Writing off 3 or 4 would be disaster.

But I would certainly miss Abby the most out of these 4 characters.

[Church AV Guy]

The one they most can't afford to lose is Palmer!

:DDucks for cover!:D

[lwilli201]

The show could survive without DiNozo, but without Abby, it's done.

I agree about Dinozo. His "Shtick" is getting a little old.

[scooper]

Outside of Gibbs - Abby is the "glue" that keeps the show together.

[phrelin]

The show could survive without DiNozo, but without Abby, it's done.I agree about Dinozo. His "Shtick" is getting a little old.Well, I think we should wait to see what the female half of the audience thinks.:sure:

[Supramom2000]

I think (speaking for the female half) that DiNozzo's "schick" is very boring, his character is annoying and he is far too old to play such a juvenile character.

[phrelin]

I think (speaking for the female half) that DiNozzo's "schick" is very boring, his character is annoying and he is far too old to play such a juvenile character.Oh,oh....

Michael Weatherly's bargaining position just took a hit.;)

[Sharkie_Fan]

Did anyone watch this weeks episode?

I won't get into details, just in case there are those who have not watched and plan to.... but Tony's whole deal in this episode sure felt like a safety net for the writers. If a contract isn't worked out, for whatever reason, the writers now have in their back pockets a scenario which they could use to write Tony off the show and into some new walk of life.

Maybe I'm just reading into it, but it sure felt like the way Tony handled this case could be used as a way to usher him out the door if the need arises because of the contract situation.

[Tom Robertson]

I thought they had gotten past DiNozzo's schtick and grown him up very nicely. I liked the maturing Tony.

Now they've regressed him beyond where he started and it's just stupid. I'd love to see him back as a thinking person again.

Cheers,
Tom

[phrelin]

Did anyone watch this weeks episode?

I won't get into details, just in case there are those who have not watched and plan to.... but Tony's whole deal in this episode sure felt like a safety net for the writers. If a contract isn't worked out, for whatever reason, the writers now have in their back pockets a scenario which they could use to write Tony off the show and into some new walk of life.

Maybe I'm just reading into it, but it sure felt like the way Tony handled this case could be used as a way to usher him out the door if the need arises because of the contract situation.Yeah, I also wondered about that.