TVSquad

Something amazing has happened recently in the TV media: the critics have discovered CBS's stealth ratings champ, NCIS, and it's now cool to come out of the closet and declare your fandom. Articles in USA Today, the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times have reported the fact that not only is NCIS consistently in the top five of the weekly Nielsen ratings, but it's also a smart, well-acted and compelling TV show.

There are reasons to admire NCIS, and if you haven't been watching, here's five really good reasons to check out the show. I know that before I got coerced into giving NCIS a try, I didn't think I'd like it, but boy, was I wrong.

1) It's not really a procedural
Okay, yes, they do examine crime scenes and Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum) carves up cadavers while Abby analyzes fibers and prints, but NCIS is usually more about the people involved in the crime than how it was committed. You don't get a lot of tricky visual effects like the CSIs -- you know, the bullet shredding through a heart -- and you don't watch the investigators building a case like Law & Order (no "Where's your warrant?" or "Can I get a judge to sign off on this?"). NCIS doesn't feel clinical or technical; it's more meat-and-potatoes drama.

2) It's not really a military show
The 'N" in NCIS stands for Naval. I thought the show would be all about the Navy and cases involving ships and sailors. Well, that's true to a point. The jurisdiction for Jethro's teams is crimes committed against or involving military personnel, but they're not in uniform. They look like an urban investigation squad in a high-tech office. They deal with national security issues, but recently they investigated a murder involving a U.S. senator. The last two seasons included a big story about an international arms dealer nicknamed The Frog. NCIS covers a lot of territory that goes outside the lines of military bases and posts.

3) It's pop topical
For a show that supposed to be very straight in its stories and dialogue, the show is filled with topical and pop culture references. Tony is a major movie buff, forever bringing up lines from movies or situations that remind him of a Sean Connery movie or an episode of Magnum, P.I. (the Magnum bit was also a nod to Donald Bellisario, the creator of both NCIS and Magnum, P.I.); Ducky's vast knowledge of science and history; Abby's tattoos and rock 'n roll, motorcycle chick dogma; Tim's success as a mystery novelist named Thom E. Gemcity, even the current director's fascination with boxing and Mohammad Ali.

4) It's all about the team
The big name on NCIS is Mark Harmon, but the star of the show is the ensemble. It's the team that makes the show click, their chemistry and the way the characters interact. Everyone has something idiosyncratic that makes them unique, but together they work like a really tight band. It's a nod to Harmon as the star that he gives Michael Weatherly, David McCallum, Sean Murray, Cote de Pablo, Pauley Perrette all a lot more than just reflected glory. The current crew is so good together, only long time, die-hards still miss Kate.

5) It's filled with funny bits
There's all kinds of bits of business that makes NCIS fun to watch. Gibbs smacking Tony on the head when he makes a dumb comment (a schtick that Michael Weatherly and Mark Harmon improvised in the first season), Gibbs buying Big Gulps for Abby, Ziva's malaprops, Abby's Goth image contradict her scientific mind and sweet nature, Tony called Tim "Probie" ( and mocking his geekdom, Gibbs multiple marriages -- all redheads -- and his building a wooden boat in his basement (with no conceivable way to get it out of the basement!).

So, if you haven't tried NCIS yet, I hope this'll give you the impetus to give it a try. Let me know what you think if you do, and for you long-timers like me, share your thoughts about this underrated gem.