Official: Cote de Pablo to Exit CBS' NCIS

N CIS is prepping for a crew member's departure.

CBS has just confirmed that Cote de Pablo will exit the long-running hit naval series at the beginning of the upcoming eleventh season. De Pablo's contract expired expired at the end of season 10 along with Mark Harmon's - though he ultimately decided to stay aboard the series.

"I've had 8 great years with NCIS and Ziva David," de Pablo said in a statement today. "I have huge respect and affection for Mark, Gary, Michael, David, Rocky, Pauley, Brian, Sean, all of the team and CBS. I look forward to finishing Ziva's story."

"We respect Cote's decision, thank her for being an important part of the NCIS team, and for eight terrific years playing Ziva David," CBS said their own statement. "Cote and CBS share a great respect for the NCIS audience, and we look forward to working with her and the producers on appropriate closure in this chapter of Ziva's story."

Production on the eleventh season of NCIS is set to begin next week.

NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it's a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine gunnery sergeant whose skills as an investigator are unmatched, leads this troupe of colorful personalities. Gibbs, a man of few words, only needs a look to explain it all. The team includes NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, an ex-homicide detective whose instincts in the field are unparalleled and whose quick wit and humorous take on life make him a team favorite; former Mossad agent turned NCIS Special Agent Ziva David, perhaps the most dangerous member of the team, and NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate whose brilliance with computers far overshadows his insecurities in the field. Assisting the team is the youthful and energetic forensic specialist Abby Sciuto, a talented scientist whose sharp mind matches her Goth style and eclectic tastes, medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, who knows it all because he's seen it all - and he's not afraid to let you know it - and Ducky's protégé, Assistant Medical Examiner Jimmy Palmer. Overseeing the operations is NCIS Director Leon Vance, an intelligent, highly trained agent who can always be counted on to shake up the status quo. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.

Photo: Matt Hoyle/CBS ©2010

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