NEXT ON NCIS
18x01 - Sturgeon Season - Gibbs and Fornell (Joe Spano) attempt to track down the leader of a drug ring who supplied drugs to Fornell’s daughter. Also, the team deals with the case of a missing cadaver from the NCIS autopsy room, on the 18th season premiere of NCIS
Tuesday, Nov. 17, (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT)

Posted by Admin on September 20th, 2013


Life comes with few chances to witness a fundamental law being turned on its head.

But last season 18.5 million viewers did just that every week, tuning to “NCIS” to certify it as one of TV’s highest-rated shows and, even more impressively, make it a series whose audience after 10 seasons has expanded, not shriveled, with age.

“NCIS,” which averaged 11.8 million viewers its first season back in 2003-04, grew by more than a million viewers last year alone.

This, of course, contradicts TV’s natural order. “NCIS” (which starts its 11th season Tuesday at 8 p.m. EDT on CBS) seems to have a long-term lease on TV’s fountain of youth.

It doesn’t hurt that “NCIS” maintains an absorbing, go-down-easy recipe of drama, character and humor that no other show is able to match.

“We’ve been successful so far,” says series star Mark Harmon with some understatement, “and we keep finding ways to grow it.”

But don’t go laying too much credit for that growth, or any other metric of success, at Harmon’s feet.

He’s the star, of course, playing tormented but intrepid Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Special Agent in Charge of the military’s Major Case Response Team.

Harmon is surrounded by a sturdy troupe of actors including fellow charter cast members Michael Weatherly (NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo), David McCallum (Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard) and the wildly popular Pauley Perrette (as Goth lab rat Abby Sciuto).
View gallery.”
This publicity image released by CBS shows Mark Harmon …
This publicity image released by CBS shows Mark Harmon in a scene from “NCIS.” Last season 18.5 mill …

“There’s four of us who were there in the beginning, plus pretty much 90 percent of our crew,” says Harmon, citing the stability of the show’s production team as one key reason for its continued robustness.

Granted, there have been comings and goings. This summer, “NCIS” fans were shocked to learn that Cote de Pablo was exiting after eight seasons. The new season’s first two episodes give her character, Special Agent Ziva David, a dramatic send-off.

“We wish Cote well,” says Harmon. “But for those of us still here, it’s all about moving on: ‘This is what we’ve got, and we’re going to find a way to make it even better.’

“I’m not trying to shuck off our success, because it’s all earned, every bit of it. By a lot of people.”

Thus does Harmon reaffirm his one-for-all-and-all-for-one manifesto.

“I’m not the big dog,” he says flatly. “I might be a dog. But there’s a lot of dogs.”

Now 62, Harmon is an unlikely TV superstar. His manner during a recent interview is friendly but crisp, soft-spoken and firmly self-effacing. With his pretty-boy looks matured in middle age, this is the all-grown-up version of the star quarterback at UCLA who, after brief turns in law school, advertising and selling shoes, set his sights anew on acting and made good.

He forged a solid career in a succession of TV series, including “Reasonable Doubts,” ”Chicago Hope” and “St. Elsewhere,” where, nearly 30 years ago, he played the first prime-time hero to contract, and die of, AIDS.

His films include “The Presidio,” ”Natural Born Killers” and “Freaky Friday.”
View gallery.”
This publicity image released by CBS shows Mark Harmon, …
This publicity image released by CBS shows Mark Harmon, left, and Cote de Pablo in a scene from “NCI …

Still, the man crowned as “the greatest actor who ever lived” by “Family Guy” cartoon aesthete Peter Griffin never reached the top tier of show-biz, even as he weathered accolades like People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 1986. And, as with most actors, he has also suffered setbacks, such as his ABC private-eye drama “Charlie Grace,” which lasted little more than a month in 1995.

So when “NCIS” arrived as a spinoff of the durable but non-flashy military drama “JAG,” there was no particular reason to expect fireworks from this new venture.

“We were able to keep it afloat a couple of years because we weren’t good enough to get all the attention and we weren’t bad enough to get canceled,” says Harmon with a laugh. “And the biggest thing: We shoot in Santa Clarita,” which sits 30 miles comfortably removed from Los Angeles. “Nobody from the network wanted to drive out there!” Network execs stayed out of their hair.

“NCIS” still shoots at Santa Clarita Studios, which means a lengthy commute for Harmon and many of his cast mates.

That’s fine with him. Ten years and running on “NCIS” isn’t about to drive him somewhere else.

“I’ve been acting long enough to appreciate the kind of opportunity this show is,” he says. “It’s a machine, but it’s a machine that’s forever changing, and if we’re able to maintain what we have here, I don’t see any reason why it can’t continue for a while.”

How long? Harmon answers by explaining what it is about “NCIS” he savors the most.

“I love the drive to work,” he says. “I love getting up and looking forward to where I’m going.”

If steering his ’91 Bimmer northward from his Santa Monica home each dawn ever starts to feel punishing, “I think that will be the time to hang it up,” he declares. “But as long as we’re finding ways to do new stories and grow these characters, I’ll be there.”

Source


Welcome to ncissource.org

Welcome to NCIS Source your source for all things NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the NCIS Team. We have the latest news, photos, media and so much more. Thanks for stopping by, and if you have any questions, please free to contact us!
Sponsored Ad
Elite Affiliates
Current Projects


Season Eighteen
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 17 , 2020
Status: Filming
Photos | IMDB | Official Site | Itunes

Follow NCIS & Cast
NCIS CBS
Sean Murray (McGee)
Brian Dietzen (Palmer)
Rocky Carroll (Vance)
Emily Wickersham (Bishop)
Wilmer Valderrama (Torres)
Maria Bello (Jacqueline Sloane)
Pauley Perrette (EX-Abby)
Michael Weatherly (Ex-Tony)
Duane Henry (Ex-Reeves)
Jennifer Esposito (Ex-Quinn)
Jesse Stern (Ex-Writer)
Steve Binder (Writer)
Christopher J. Waild (Writer)
Christopher Silber (Writer)
Scott Williams (Writer)
Dennis Smith (Director)
Nicole M. Matthews (Ex-Writer)
Where To Write
"NCIS"
Att: (Cast/Crew member name)
26030 Avenue Hall
Box 4
Valencia, CA 91355
Latest Images
113368_0857b.jpg
113368_0627b.jpg
113368_0136b1.jpg
113268_0006b.jpg
Spotlight Moment
14x13
- 14x13 - Keep Going
Own NCIS


Season 15
Role: DVD/Blu-Ray
Status: Available Now
Amazon | Itunes


Season 11-14
Role: DVD/Blu-Ray
Status: Available Now
Amazon | Itunes



Season 1-10
Role: DVD/BlueRay
Status: Available
Best Buy | Amazon | Itunes



NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack & Vol 2
Role: CD
Status: Available
Best Buy | Amazon | Itunes



NCIS: The Official TV Score
Role: CD
Status: Available
Best Buy | Amazon | Itunes



NCIS: Benchmark
Role: CD
Status: Available
Best Buy | Amazon | Itunes

Top Affiliates

For Links back to the Site
Twitter Updates
Site Stats
Launched: July 12th, 2010
Webmaster: Meghan & Alice
Contact: E-Mail
Hosted By: Flaunt Network
Fans Online:
Hits:
Disclaimer
NCIS Source is a fan site for the CBS show NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service and NCIS: Los Angles. We are in no was affiliates with the show, the cast or crew or CBS. This is meant for the fans, entertainment purposes only, no profit is made, and no infringement is intended. All photos are property of their respectful owners and are being used under Fair Copyright Law 107. Tags and watermarks on photos exist only for promotional purposes and don't imply ownership. Contact us if you have any concerns. Contact Us.