'NCIS' Contract Dispute Update: David McCallum's Signed
Reports of Ducky's departure have been premature. In an update on the 'NCIS' cast dispute that we reported the other day, David McCallum is signed for next season. That's right, his manager told TV Guide that the previous stories had incorrectly put him in the same boat with Michael Weatherly, Sean Murray and Pauley Perrette. McCallum's manager explained, "I'm sure some of the others are negotiating, but he's not affected by it. He falls into the Mark Harmon/Rocky Carroll category. He's signed on for additional seasons. He's excited to be coming back to the show and can't wait to see everybody."
While it's gratifying to know that McCallum has a secure deal with the show, the other three stars really need to be locked up. We said it in our story, and our many comments agreed: 'NCIS' will not be the same show without Tony, Abby and McGee. Most fans wouldn't consider replacements for these core characters satisfactory.
One last thought regarding the economics of settling with the actors and giving them raises commensurate with the success of the show. Currently, 'NCIS' draws an average of 19 million viewers per episode, up 5% from last season. In addition, the ad rate for 30-seconds on 'NCIS' is $133,000. With those kind of positive figures, it shouldn't be too difficult for the producers to keep the cast together by sharing the wealth.

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