• Network: CBS
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 23, 2003
  • Season #: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10
NCIS Image
Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 44 Ratings

  • Starring: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Sasha Alexander
  • Summary: From Donald P. Bellisario comes NCIS, a show bringing us the inner workings of the government agency that investigates all crimes involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents traverse the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.

    Leading this team that operates outside of the military chain of command is Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), a skilled investigator and interrogator who is smart, tough and willing to bend the rules to get the job done. Working under Gibbs is Special Agent Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), a former homicide detective who has instincts that can come only from working on the streets.

    Joining them is Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), a gifted forensics specialist whose dark wit matches her goth-style hair and clothes, and Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum), a medical examiner.

    Through season one a new character has been introduced -- special agent Tim McGee (Sean Murray, "The Random Years") whose computer skills will be a very big part of the NCIS team.

    Special Agent Caitlin "Kate" Todd (Sasha Alexander, "Dawson's Creek"), a former United States Secret Service agent, has brought her intelligence and gutsy personality to the team through first 2 seasons, until during her duty in season two finale, when she was murdered by a terrorist.

    In season three, the NCIS team welcomed Mossad Agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), who took Kate's place in the team, and the NCIS team got a new director, Jenny Shepard (Lauren Holly). After Holly's departure at the end of Season 5, the position of the NCIS director was taken over by Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll).
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  • Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 22
  2. Negative: 3 out of 22
  1. Reviewed by: Noel Holston
    Mar 3, 2013
    80
    NCIS is going to succeed first and foremost because of Harmon. His character is more or less the same quietly confident, genial guy he played when he was Allison Janney's ill-fated love interest on "The West Wing." He's essentially playing himself, and he's very good at it. [23 Sept 2003, p.B02]
  2. Reviewed by: Ed Bark
    Mar 3, 2013
    60
    There's too much of this jurisdictional stuff and an overload of staring by Gibbs, most of it directed at the coltish Caitlin. The story is fairly involving, though. And Mr. Harmon is an underrated actor who's added some softer touches after playing Gibbs as a humorless taskmaster in a two-part JAG that introduced the character. [23 Sept 2003, p.10E]
  3. Reviewed by: Mike McDaniel
    Mar 3, 2013
    60
    There's nothing terribly wrong with the show except that it draws from the same procedural well as CSI, Law & Order and the show from which it's spun, JAG. [23 Sept 2003, p.Hou1]
  4. Reviewed by: Tom Shales
    Mar 3, 2013
    30
    Navy NCIS may not be ghastly, but it's a mutation, gratuitous and clunky. We don't need another criminal investigation show and we don't need another military justice show, and this series is those two, two, two shows in one.

See all 22 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 12
  2. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. 10
    My review goes out to the whole show this is definitely one of my favorite series it provides a fair amount of dramatic episodes to keep the attention of viewers. the cast all show great acting skills on the portrayal of their characters and there backgrounds and i will definitely carry on watching and would recommend it to all crime drama fans Expand
  2. 10
    Great start to a wonderful show.
    Many of the characters in this series are deeper and more complex than their competition, and offer an almost
    unlimited direction and scope to grow into.
    Unlike other procedural crime shows, this one mixes the serious and the funny with quirky humor and enlightened gags.
    Many of the story arcs are short, but they are introducing many others that are proving interesting and should provide viewers some fun.
    The writing is done well, and the acting is even better.
    I would like to see some more of the back-story of some of the leads, and maybe a bit more action; not necessarily shooting or car chases, but more mental or in-depth action.
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  3. CRL
    8
    NCIS has everything you could ever want. It's suspenseful and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. The characters are some of the most compelling I've ever seen, each with their own flaws and storylines that are explored at some time or another, and each of the actors fits their role perfectly. The episodes are exciting and (the more serious ones) almost painfully honest. Round that out with amazing writing and a great soundtrack, this is one of the best series on TV. //// Season 1 wasn't the best, but it started the show off well and began the formula of drama mixed with humor. It also contains one of my favorite episodes (The Truth is Out There). Expand
  4. I give this show a low score because it is one of many with strong military themes. It also fails to use themes that show how vulnerable the internet is to people who want to create trouble. I had an email bounced back today after it was rejected for no reason by the receiver domain-and when I resent it to a alternate email address I checked the sent copy & there were mistakes in it that I had already corrected...I would call that a problem-it makes you sound like you can't speak your own language. Good Job. In this show I don't like how a 25 year old woman dresses like a 12 year old. In real life that isn't cute. It is the show makers soft selling the ridiculous idea that people are still children in their twenties-an idea backed by quack psychologists everywhere also. There is enough of war in the real world-althogh the show is not about war specifically, it seeks to make war an accepted part of life when it is a last resort. The older pathologist saves the show from being a complete failure. Expand

See all 12 User Reviews