‘NCIS’ spoilers: Is the show on the hunt for new season 14 stars?
“NCIS” is certainly looking to plan ahead to the series’ future, and it certainly feels like a good time to shake things up and bring in some new blood.
According to a report from TVLine, the CBS series is looking for a pair of young, fresh faces to add to the cast as regulars for a potential 14th season. While the network has not renewed the series just yet, we feel like that is more or less a certainty. There’s no reason to cancel it, since we’re looking at one of the most-watched series around the globe with plenty of gas left in the tank.
Before we sense the inevitable pumping of the breaks, this doesn’t mean that any current cast members are leaving. Adding some more players to the mix could just be the latest way that the show ensures that there is a natural revolving door at NCIS, given that this is the sort of workplace where some new people would shuffle in occasionally. Also, it’s certainly possible that some current characters could be shifted around into new roles.
What we would say in opposition to this is mostly that there are some cast members currently who don’t get a ton of time in the spotlight. Take, for example, how Jimmy Palmer never gets enough to do. It’s also been a relatively light season for DiNozzo so far, but we figure that will change in the new year. Gibbs’ recovery and Bishop’s relationship were two of the primary stories in the fall, and we know that early next year, we’re getting a crossover with “NCIS: New Orleans” that is going to be focused very much on Abby and her brother.
FLCheesehead
December 18, 2015 @ 3:23 pm
The addition of new cast (should NCIS go for a 14th season) seems normal for a CBS show … they did the same thing with CSI and L&O over the years (promoting recurring characters to full time status, moving them up in the lab or office pecking order, adding new rookies to the team) … even Criminal Minds got that treatment, although to a lesser degree. NCIS:LA has had some cast changes, with one-time regulars (Nate) showing up as occasional guest stars and other guest stars (Granger) becoming regulars.
I could see a scenario where Gibbs retires and hands the reins to Tony, who becomes team leader over McGee, Bishop and two new probies, leaving Gibbs to “consult” or “oversee” much like Hetty does on LA. Ducky retires and hands Autopsy to Jimmy. Maybe Abby even gets to grow up a little, while also training someone new down in the lab. The show has finally been able to divest itself from the Israelis and build some plotlines around new terrorist threats, and a younger cast would make sense if they’re fighting a new kind of enemy. Could be an interesting way to keep the team going.
Everyone said there’d be disaster when Kate died. Then the show was criticized when its “Navy” association became tenuous. It was supposed to fall apart when Ziva left. And here it is … still chugging along. As long as Gibbs is there to center the team on, even if he’s not always on screen, there are all sorts of possibilities.
Lisa Liscoumb
December 18, 2015 @ 4:12 pm
A very well-thought out and well-reasoned post, Cheese – I like the way you think. The addition of new, young team members would also enable the writers to explore different stories, much like the addition of Ellie Bishop to the team did.