NCIS: why is the popular TV show so successful?

Jessica Alba - In one of the episodes, the character of Michael Weatherly says the line 'I have a better chance at hooking up with Jessica Alba than these guys have at infiltrating Sealift.' This is a reference to his brief relationship with Jessica Alba and the fact that they co-starred in the series 'Dark Angel.'

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Son - The scenes where Mark Harmon (Gibbs) has memories of his past are played by his son, Sean.

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Most wanted - A photo of Donald P. Bellisario, the creator of NCIS, can be seen on the 'most wanted' wall on the show.

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Two types of agents - In the series, full-time NCIS special agents wear a gold badge and temporary agents wear a silver one.

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Cars - The Dodge Chargers used by the Marine Department Agents in the series have a special color called 'Deep Water Blue.' This color is more expensive than the typical black and is also the color used by real-life agents.

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Timothy McGee - Sean Murray, the actor who plays Timothy McGee, is Donald P. Bellisario's stepson.

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Sister - McGee's sister in the series is also his half-sister in real life, and daughter of Donald Bellisario. Her name is Troian Bellisario.

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Energy drink - The famous energy drink consumed by the character Abby throughout the series doesn't exist in real life. However, it is possible to buy a mug of the drink brand on CBS' online store.

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Real life - The two current NCIS directors, David Brant and Thomas Betro, have already made cameo appearances in the show.

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Sweaters - Gibbs can be seen wearing sweatshirts several times with the letters NIS, that stand for 'Naval Investigation Service.' NIS was used before NCIS, and it makes sense for the character to wear these clothes as when he served as an agent the old acronym was still in use.

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More sweaters - Mark Harmon has revealed several times that he wears sweaters sent by fans in the series. These sweaters are mostly sent to him by old marines. So the clothes you see the actor wearing are really official!

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11 years after - Scott Bakula was almost cast by Donald Bellisario to play Gibbs in NCIS. Nevertheless, 11 years later, the actor was selected to be one of the main faces of NCIS: New Orleans, as Dwyane Pride.

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Referências - The character Anthony Dinozzo sometimes makes reference to being a fan of Airwolf (1984) and Magnum, P.I (1980), both created by Donald P. Bellisario.

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Harrison Ford - There are rumors that Harrison Ford was considered for the role of Gibbs, but this never happened.

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Teacher - Actress Cote de Pablo needed a Hebrew teacher to learn some of her lines in that language.

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Spin-off - NCIS is a spin-off from the series 'JAG,' by the same creator, Donald P. Bellisario, which aired on CBS from 1995 to 2005.

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Creator - Donald P. Bellisario served in the US Marine Corps as a Sergeant. He applies his personal experience and knowledge of how the Marines' operations work to the show.

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Duration - The series started in September 2003 and still continues to this day, making it one of the few spin-offs that has actually lasted longer than its original.

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Ratings - In 2013 the show set a viewing record with an episode from the 10th season, 'Shiva.' It was watched by 22.86 million people in the US alone.

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Audiences - It continues to be the most watched drama series in the US, winning the International Television Audience Awards in 2014 as the world's best rated drama series.

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Spin-offs - NCIS also branched out into two shows, NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans.

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Set - Although the show is set in Washington, D.C., it is filmed in Santa Clarita, California.

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Abby Sciuto - Pauley Perrette, who plays the famous character Abby Sciuto, revealed on Twitter that she will leave the series at the end of the 15th season (current season).

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A real crime expert - Pauley Perrette has a degree in Forensic Science. It was only when she moved to New York to complete a master's degree in the same area that she decided to give acting a go.

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Real name - During one of the episodes it is possible to see Abby's real name in an official document: Abigail Beethoven Sciuto.

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Success - Michael Weatherly, who played Tony DiNozzo for 13 seasons, was disinherited by his father at age 13 because he didn't want him to be an actor. Michael, as we know, decided otherwise.

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