TV crime dramas have the ability to tell similar stories but keep them fresh. NCIS has certainly done that over the years. It’s our top pick for Crime-mas Day 2.
It’s Day 2 of our 25 Days of Crime-mas special. We’re starting with a show that the majority of you will watch or you’ve watched in the past. NCIS is still going, into its 17th season. And it’s the most-watched series on CBS. It’s only natural that it was going to be on our Christmas countdown list.
There isn’t a new episode of the season this week, but new episodes will air on Dec. 17. We’ll then head into the Christmas break before getting more episodes at the beginning of January. But what makes it worthy of being the first of the TV crime dramas on our list?
Season 17 and still going strong
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NCIS first premiered on Sept. 23, 2003. Something many people don’t remember is that it was a spin-off of the legal drama JAG. The series nearly didn’t happen. JAG was canceled partway through its second season and saved by CBS. It would see a climb in the ratings, leading to nine full seasons of the series and allowing the NCIS spin-off to happen.
Of course, that would lead to further spin-offs. NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans continue to air on CBS and are in their 11th and sixth seasons respectively. While they’re not as popular as the main series, they do perform well for the network.
NCIS has now gone on to last 17 seasons and counting. There’s no sign of the series being canceled. In fact, the network will likely work with the showrunners and cast to bring this show to some sort of epic conclusion when the time is right.
The NCIS cast
There have been many changes over the years. Season 1 saw the introduction of five main characters: Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harman), Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander), Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), Abigail Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), and Dr. Donald Mallard (David McCallum).
We would also get to meet recurring characters that have continued to play important roles to this day. Joe Spano was introduced as Tobias Fornell, Sean Murray was brought in as Timothy McGee, and Brian Dietzen came in as Jimmy Palmer. Eventually, Murray and Dietzen would be brought in as series regulars, with Spano continuing to show up now and then.
Alexander was the first cast member to leave the series. It was on good terms, as the actress realized that the show would take more work than she’d like. Cote de Pablo was brought in to replace her as Ziva David. Pablo, Weatherly, and Perrette have all moved on.
Since then, we’ve seen cast members leave and new ones come in. The current lineup sees Gibbs still in charge with McGee as his second in command. Rocky Carroll was introduced in Season 5 as Director Leon Vance, Emily Wickersham joined in Season 11 as Ellie Bishop, Wilmer Valderrama would join as Nick Torres in Season 13, and Maria Bello joined as Jack Sloan in Season 14. Diona Reasonover came in as Kasie during Season 15 as a guest star and became a series regular in Season 16.
What is NCIS about?
The premise is pretty simple. NCIS is the name given to the federal investigative division. When there’s a naval crime, usually involving murder but sometimes disappearances, the team is called in to figure out the case.
They work closely to work the evidence and solve murders. Naturally, there are elements of their personal lives included, but the main focus is on the cases at hand.
Why you should watch
There isn’t a reason not to watch NCIS. This is a show that continually proves it can tell a similar story but with unique twists along the way. The show has remained with the times, focusing on some of the technological advances and how they can help and hinder cases. Just this season we’ve seen live streaming murders, hidden live streaming cameras, and much more.
The team is the main reason to watch, though. This show wouldn’t be what it is without the characters and their development. Mark Harmon is the lead, but he doesn’t steal the limelight from the others. Every character has his or her own personality, offering something valuable to the team in each episode.
Episodes to watch
If you only have a little time to watch some episodes, the best place to start has to be with the pilot episode. This gets everything started, introducing the initial main characters.
The last two episodes of Season 2 are also extremely strong points. And you do need to watch both of them. It all starts with Episode 23, which sees a group of serial terrorists sends Ari on an assignment to kill Gibbs. The team has to work together to prevent that from happening and it leads to the death of one of their own.
Season 11, Episode 24 is an important one. Following the passing of his father (played by the late Ralph Waite), Gibbs heads back to his childhood home. This is an emotional episode, and not just because it’s Gibbs’ past. The episode was written to honor Waite, who had already stolen our hearts as Jackson Gibbs.
You may want to watch Season 6, Episode 4, too. This one introduces Waite as Jackson, as Gibbs is called back to his hometown to investigate a murder. We get plenty of secrets about his past.
What do you think of NCIS? Which TV crime dramas are making your list for the 25 Days of Crime-mas? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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