CBS to ‘NCIS’ Creator: Your Lawsuit Has No Merit

The man who created “JAG”, “Magnum P.I.” and “NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service” is suing CBS for not rewarding him for the success of “NCIS: Los Angeles“. Don Bellisario has filed a lawsuit against the network because “NCIS: L.A.”, which launched in 2009, is considered a sequel to and spin-off to his shows.

“Bellisario has the contractual right to participate in and be compensated for ‘NCIS:LA’ because it is, among other things, both a sequel to and a spinoff of ‘JAG’ and ‘NCIS’ within the meaning of the ‘first opportunity’ rights provisions of Plaintiffs’ contracts with CBS,” the lawsuit said.

Bellisario was fired from the hit show a few years ago. He felt CBS was contractually obligated to either let him write and produce the spin-off or pay him off. The producer filed the legal paper on Thursday, April 28 in Los Angeles Superior Court but no damages were specified.

In response to the lawsuit, CBS released the following statement: “Don Bellisario has no rights to what he is claiming in this suit. The contract is clear, the facts are undeniable and the courts won’t need Naval intelligence to conclude that the case has no merit. We continue to honor all of our obligations to Mr. Bellisario under the actual agreement.”

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