Uber producer Mark Burnett and his actress wife Roma Downey (‘Touched By An Angel’) will executive produce a new four-hour CBS mini-series â€" The Dovekeepers â€" based on the best-selling historical novel by Alice Hoffman. That new mini-series will star former ‘NCIS’ lead Cote de Pablo, who is taking on her first small screen role since leaving the long-running procedural series.
‘The Dovekeepers’ tells the story of four extraordinary women whose live intersect in a fight for survival at the siege of Masada in 70 C.E, who are forced out of their homes in Jerusalem by the Romans. The refugees, 900 Jews, were ensconced in a fortress at Masada, a mountain in the Judean desert, where they held out for months against the vast Roman armies.
de Pablo will play one of those four women named Shirah, who is a sensual, mysterious and fiercely independent single mother with uncanny insights and a quiet and mysterious power. She is derided by many as the “Witch of Moab,†as she covertly practices forbidden ancient rites of magic and is keenly knowledgeable about herbal remedies. However, those in need don’t hesitate to approach her for her help and generosity of spirit.
Viewers know that de Pablo starred as Special Agent Ziva David for eight season on ‘NCIS’ before leaving to pursue other acting opportunities. She has the feature film ‘The 33, based on the true story of the rescued Chilean miners, coming up as well as ‘The Last Rites of Ransom Pride’. Her stage work includes ‘The Mambo Kings’ and ‘Measure for Measure’.
‘The Dovekeepers’ will air on CBS sometime in 2015.