‘NCIS’ Backstage Drama Ends — Sean Murray Signs New Deal - NCISfanatic™ Fans of NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles

Source: Fancast by Matt Webb Mitovich

It’s been a long seven weeks for ‘NCIS‘ fans, but with Sean Murray’s signing of a new deal, they can go to bed tonight knowing that the whole team will be accounted for when TV’s most watched scripted series returns in the fall.

The ‘NCIS’ faithful had been on the edge of their seats since late April, when word broke that no less than four series regulars – Murray (who plays McGee), Michael Weatherly (Tony), Pauley Perrette (Abby) and David McCallum (Ducky) – were not signed for Season 8, and being tendered “pretty low-ball offers” to continue on.

Nonetheless, McCallum quickly hammered out his own new pact, followed shortly thereafter by Perrette.

Weatherly’s negotiations took a bit more doing, but he ultimately came around in early June. That left Murray, and now… everyone is happy.

Well, not everyone – the loyal viewers of another long-running CBS crime drama, ‘Criminal Minds,’ are still grumbling over reports that A.J. Cook (who plays JJ) has not been asked back in the fall, while Paget Brewster (Prentiss) is facing a reduction in screen time. The latest news on that front is that Cook might return for a singular episode, to properly wrap up her character’s storyline, says Deadline.com.