Sometimes there is no predicting things. Especially when it comes to television programs and which will be popular and those that won’t. I don’t think at the outset that many would have predicted that Grey’s Anatomy, South Park, The Simpsons, Lassie, or Gunsmoke would have been on for as many seasons as they have been or continue to be. Another to add to the pile is NCIS. It is just another crime or procedural drama in a large number of shows in the genre. Yet it has been on CBS for 20 seasons! Incredible! Over the years the cast has changed yet the stories have stayed the same. On the surface, there does not seem to be a clear reason why this show and not others. Just something about it has connected with a large audience.
In season nineteen the NCIS team continues to bring down the bad guys in cases related to the American Navy and Marine corps. The special agents in the team are: Leroy Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon), Nick Torres (played by Wilmer Valderrama), Timothy McGee (played by Sean Murray), and Jessica Knight (played by Katrina Law). They are aided in their quest by a couple of medical types in Kasie Hines (played by Diona Reasonover) and Jimmy Palmer (played by Brian Dietzen). Everyone works under NCIS Director Leon Vance (played by Rocky Carroll).
We begin with the remaining members of the team picking up where season eighteen left off and Gibbs’ disappearance. This leads to Jessica Knight joining the team in the investigation. When he disappeared Gibbs and reporter Marcie Warren (played by Pam Dawber) were on the tail of a serial killer.
There are 21 episodes in season nineteen. Plenty of guest actors/actresses appear on the series such as Pam Dawber, Joe Spano, Laura San Giacomo, Vanessa Lachey, and Teri Polo. Plus, it seems like Gary Cole has joined the series as a regular.
The major development of the nineteenth season is that after episode four, Mark Harmon leaves the series. This is a big blow as he has been the guiding force since the beginning. It has returned to a case per episode type series rather than one with large overriding arcs. Some complain that the series has lost its comedic edge and now is a little too heavy. We will see with the changes and the fact that the series has been moved to Monday night, if that will affect its popularity.
