NCIS Website Loves Gibbs, DiNozzo
NCIS Fan Site For Television Show Reveres NCIS Cast, Characters
It’s little wonder that Special Agent Jethro Gibbs, the TV series star coolly played by Mark Harmon, gets his fair share of fan adulation. What may surprise some is the attention lavished on characters Tony DiNozzo, the pseudo-suave No. 2 played by Michael Weatherly, and terminally geeky computer wunderkind Timothy McGee, portrayed by Sean Murray. Each has more than 11,000 message views by appreciative fans.
Supporting Role TV Actors Popular on NCIS Show
Abby, the forensic lab wizard played by Pauley Perrette, has her own fan following on the NCIS website. So does Ziva, the Mossad agent on loan acted by Cote de Pablo. Perennial television star David McCallum, who enlivens the role of pathologist Dr. Ducky Mallard, even has a fan discussion thread dedicated to the character’s mother. Newcomer Rocky Carroll, as incoming NCIS director Leon Vance, has a following after just a few shows.
NCIS Episodes Pull Great Ratings on Network Television, Cable TV
The popularity of the community message board for the NCIS show mirrors its performance on the air, through both its first-run network TV schedule and its cable TV network rebroadcasts. Nielsen TV ratings reflect this appeal. Recent data ranks it fourth in total viewership thus far through the 2008 – 09 TV season with more than 17 million viewers.
Weekly Nielsen data shows NCIS tied with 60 Minutes in broadcast ratings. In cable it actually scored two of the top 10 spots, with separate showings on NBC-Universal’s USA network giving it a total of more than 8 million additional viewers.
NCIS Television Show Now In Its Sixth Season
Showing no signs of slowing down, the program has amassed more than 130 episodes since its premiere in 2003. Created by TV production moguls Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill, the series showcases the team’s writing and producing prowess. With writing credits that date back to the Kojak series in 1977, Bellisario entered the production world a year earlier as associate producer on the Black Sheep Squadron show in 1976.
McGill began with another of Bellisario’s TV creations, JAG, in 2001, writing several episodes as well as serving as supervising producer, a role he periodically fills on NCIS. In addition to his NCIS scripts, McGill also writes for Numb3rs, with 10 episodes under his belt since 2005. He has been executive producer of 26 Numb3rs episodes and co-produced 47 others.
Does NCIS Exist?
Yes, the agency actually does exist. NCIS is the U.S. Navy’s primary law enforcement and counterintelligence agency. It has three strategic priorities:
- Prevent terrorism
- Protect national security secrets
- Reduce crime
It really has a Multiple Threat Alert Center (MTAC), depicted on the series as an inner sanctum whose securely veiled depths hide a command and control communications center with real-time monitoring of covert intelligence and military operations underway across the globe. Another focus is its infrastructure protection and computer investigations – apparently, real-life McGees who use computers to track hackers, criminals, spies and terrorists.
While the agency is real, it seems doubtful that it originated one of the show’s hallmarks – the Gibbs sucker slap to the back of the head that DiNozzo still hasn’t learned to duck.
NCIS airs on CBS Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Cast of NCIS
- Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon)
- Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly)
- Timothy McGee (Sean Murray)
- Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette)
- Dr. Ducky Mallard (David McCallum)
- Ziva David (Cote de Pablo)
- Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll)
- Created and written by Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill
- Executive Producer Donald P. Bellisario
Sources
Nielsen Media Research
Zap2it.com
The Internet Movie Database
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
NCIS Television Show Is Based On A Real Agency
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