I used to say that television was a vast wasteland and stood by that statement in immoveable concrete shoes. I actually stopped watching TV for a long while, with the exception of one or two particular shows every season. For a while it seemed like I only had two choices, blatant rip-offs of better shows or (kill me now) 'reality shows.' But back when the DVD market started becoming a haven for TV shows (new, old and cancelled), I was given the opportunity to see a lot of what I had been missing and found that it wasn't so much a wasteland. There was a lot of good TV out there… you just needed to know where to look. Where I thought that crime dramas were a dime a dozen, shows like "CSI" (and its subsequent spin-offs) proved to me I was wrong. It was still possible to find creativity strong enough to last multiple seasons. Of course, there is an interesting double-edged sword for the networks to my learning this.

As I find out there is more 'good' to watch on TV than I thought, I tend to wait for the DVD releases in order to watch them. After all, I can get in a whole season in just a few days and no commercials.

Anyhow, my point is that I really must learn to give more shows a chance, even if I think they are one of the blatant rip-offs of another. A perfect case is "NCIS." When I first heard of the show, the first thing that went through my head was that it was trying to steal the idea that "CSI" brought to the table. As I understood it, the NCIS team solved crimes using high-tech science, and more interestingly… cool camera shots to go 'inside' the crime. I avoided the show when it initially aired, figuring it wouldn’t last all that long anyway. Turns out I was wrong again. "NCIS" is currently in its 8th successful season.

A couple of years back, Paramount added the 1st season of "NCIS" to its roster of TV on DVD releases, and as such I was able to see for myself if it stood apart from "CSI." The series stars Mark Harmon as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (a name that sounds right at home in my Texas neighborhood), an investigator for the Navy Criminal Investigative Squad. The rest of his team was made up of Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander), the heavily tattooed forensic scientist Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), and the bespectacled Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard (David McCallum.) Together they solved crimes ranging from murder to terrorist threats.

In watching the show I was immediately impressed by a couple of things. The first was the incredible cinematography, which was further enhanced by an awesome DVD transfer. And I'm not talking about the special effects shots, I'm talking about the overall look of the series. Then there was the matter of the cast. I really got into the quirks of each of the characters almost immediately and found myself enjoying how they gelled as a team. Sure it was similar on many ways to "CSI", but admittedly it distinguished itself much in the same way that the actual spin-offs of that series did. It set itself apart by creating its own style.

I've always rather liked Mark Harmon in that he comes across as that 'everyman' type of character. This is one of the stronger roles he's played in a while and he does a great job of carrying the bulk of the series while giving his cast mates room to shine. Michael Weatherly is another actor I'm glad is getting another shot at a series. His two seasons on "Dark Angel" made me a fan, and while his character here is quite different, he's no less mesmerizing. His character is easily the favorite of the show.

But of all the actors on the series, I'm the most happy to see David McCallum. Being that I'm ancient, I grew up watching "The Man from Uncle", where he played opposite Robert Vaughn, and I loved his character. After that I only saw him in a handful of movie roles and then he seemed to disappear. A few years ago I caught him hosting a TV special on Nostradamus and I thought that was pretty much the end of his career. His role on "NCIS" however, has jump-started his career and earned him a whole new legion of fans.

They quickly followed that set up with season 2 and I was interested to see freshman season was a fluke, or if they could keep up the quality for another year. After making it through a marathon viewing of all 23 episodes I determined that the show not only continued to be good, but they upped the stakes in order to allow it to top itself. The episodes in the 2nd season were actually more involved, even to the point of bringing some of the cases a little too close to home. We learn first hand what a dangerous job the characters have, and the season ended badly. As the series moved on, it would also end badly for other characters, which never ceased to be shocking.

This month the 7th season hit store shelves, and I couldn’t have been happier. After the season 6 cliffhanger (I hate those!!), I wondered how the team would handle yet another setback. But handle it they did and the new season is every bit as good as what I’ve come to expect from the series. It had taken me a while to accept the character of Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), who came into the show during its 3rd season. But she did grow on me and her departure at the end of season 6 had me worried that she would not return. But the first episode offered a terrific follow-up and resolution and set up the season for the explosive one that it was.

I was trying to pick out favorite episodes, and to be honest, there are too many good ones. But I have to point out “Flesh and Blood”, if for no other reason than the casting of Robert Wagner as DiNozzo’s father. It is an excellent episode and Wagner is at his best. This season also involves some larger story arcs, the main one involving a military contractor. This arc is followed through terrifically and delivers a great season all around. Sho knew the series could stay this strong through so many seasons.

As for extra features, there are commentary tracks on two of the episodes, “Faith” and “Flesh and Blood”, the 2nd one being the funnest as it features Michel Weatherly and guest star Robert Wagner. Also included are several featurettes, one on the jet pack (that we have all wanted to try since the 50‘s), another on the choreography of the bar fight in “Faith”, and another that focuses on the 150th episode. Additionally you’ll find a lengthy cast round table discussion (which starts out kind of slow but livens up), a look at season 7, a featurette on the cast member’s ID’s and the like, and another on the sound design.

This 6-disc set is well worth the time to watch as "NCIS" continues to shows signs that it is good enough to last several more seasons (I hope).

Episodes:
Truth or Consequences
Reunion
The Inside Man
Good Cop, Bad Cop
Code of Conduct
Outlaws and In-Laws
Endgame
Power Down
Child’s Play
Faith
Ignition
Flesh and Blood
Jet Lag
Masquerade
Jack-Knife
Mother’s Day
Double Identity
Jurisdiction
Guilty Pleasure
Moonlighting
Obsession
Borderland
Patriot Down
Rule Fifty-One

Starring: Mark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray
Extras: NCIS: A Sound Investment; Lucky Number Seven; Home Sweet home; The Future is now; Gimme Two Steps; Celebrating Episode 150; Personnel Effects; Cast Roundtable; Audio Commentaries on Select Episodes
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Stereo
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 8/24/2010
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website: http://www.paramount.com/homeentertainment

We'll give NCIS: Season 7 an A.