Is Anyone YOU Know Watching TV's Biggest Hit?
As I type this, I'm watching the latest episode of the TV juggernaut that is ... NCIS. Yes, NCIS, the procedural about the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. While shows with big expections, movie-star leads and stylish pedigrees get canceled (adios to Christian Slater's My Own Worst Enemy, and Candace Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle) and the interwebs buzz about the hot stars of Gossip Girl, it's really silver fox Mark Harmon who's ruling the airwaves, according to no less an authority than Sunday's New York Times. Why? Said the NYT:
NCIS is part of a swing toward more traditional storytelling, the kind of shows that also prove to be valuable assets to their owners because they can play well over and over. “I don’t know if there’s a complete swing back to closed-end storytelling,” said David Stapf, president of Paramount Network Television, the studio that produces NCIS. “But those shows certainly seem to be working right now.” He added, “I think what really works is the reliability if it.”
I've seen the show a couple of times. It's reliably good, but not so much great, or ground-breaking. I consider it a TV version of The Olive Garden: Popular, likable, even endearing, mixing its murders with humor and quirk. (OK, that murder part is the TV show, not the restaurant.) But I never hear anyone talking about the show. Unless they, like my colleague Dan, say something like, "Can you believe what the Times said about NCIS?" Do you watch it? Heck, maybe I can talk to you about this week's episode, 'cause my usual crowd just wants to talk Office or Gray's. -- Stephanie Reid-Simons, Amazon Video On Demand
Morjana on November 18, 2008 at 02:04 AM
I didn't see the first season of NCIS. But I tuned in one night during season two to watch veteran actor Charles Durning in 'Call of Silence' -- and was instantly hooked on this series. NCIS' 'Call of Silence' is a remarkable episode, and Mr. Durning earned an Emmy nomination for his performance.
I've since rented all of season one from Netflix (if the DVDs weren't so darn expensive, I'd buy them, but I balk at paying over $20 for a box set for a TV series - listen up Paramount, $40 is way too high.
Now, I watch every new episode "live," and thanks to Comcast On Demand, I can the same episode again for several weeks. My family and I watch the reruns on both ION and USA.
One thing we've noticed, is that there is a similarity between NCIS and Stargate SG-1 (which we also love). Gibbs, the silver haired fox, is comparable to the silver haired fox Jack O'Neil on SG1. They've both lost family members to violence (Gibbs, wife and daughter; O'Neill a son); they're excellent at their professions, and they're team leaders. McGee is the science tech nerd as is Carter. Ziva is the alien team member (well, from another country, Israel), learning American idioms, and very knowledgeable in espionage, weaponry and fighting...sort of like Teal'c (who is from another planet and a former First Prime for a dead false Goa'uld God). Tony is the comic relief and the fast talker as is Damiel.
NCIS is rocking this season, and I look forward to each episode. Mark Harmon is a delight, his acting style is very similar to Richard Dean Anderson's (Jack O'Neill) -- less is more. No Shatner over acting on this series, it's all nuances. You have to watch, listen, and observe this series.
Sarah on November 18, 2008 at 05:06 AM
I've watched NCIS since Day 1. Love the show, the character interaction, everything
Tom K on November 18, 2008 at 07:12 AM
This is absolutely one of the better shows on the tube ,even the reruns on USA are simply great .Not only Mark Harmon ,but the whole cast just mesh together like a great clocks gears.
Every one on the cast should be happy that their show is such a favorite.
nichole on November 18, 2008 at 08:55 AM
I love this show - I can watch it over and over. Having it on 3 times a day on USA has been great. The cast has great chemistry and Mark Harmon is perfect as Gibbs. My Dad is a House/CSI fan I've recently gotten him into NCIS as well and he loves it (he's not one for tv watching in general). All around, hands down, the best show on tv that a lot of people watch, but don't really talk about.
Regina on November 18, 2008 at 07:14 PM
Love the show!!!
Corinne S. on November 20, 2008 at 03:15 PM
I agree NCIS is a solid show that I can count on enjoying, though not one that I talk about a lot. It's not as melodramatic and annoying as Gray's Anatomy or Gossip Girl so perhaps there's less to talk about.