Thursday, June 21, 2012

Don Bellisario Sues CBS

While following up on the rumor that Linda Hunt was leaving NCIS: Los Angeles, I came across the April 28 news that NCIS creator Don Bellisario was suing CBS over NCIS: Los Angeles.

From a personal standpoint, I'm glad to get any insight into what Bellisario thinks of the spinoff. I hadn't heard anything from him since he stepped down as NCIS showrunner in 2007. While I've remained a fan of NCIS, I can't help wondering where Bellisario would have taken it. (It's quite possible the show would have run aground had tensions between Bellisario and Mark Harmon persisted.)

Both Bellisario and CBS claim to be supported by contract language. However the case turns out, it does seem one worth hearing.

UPDATES: On June 21, 2012, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gregory Alarcon ruled in favor of CBS under a 2006 agreement between the studio and Bellisario. However, Bellisario may re-focus his suit based on a 1992 agreement.

On January 18, 2013, a week before the scheduled start of a trial, Bellisario and CBS settled.

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