Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
The Presidio is about two law enforcement officers who don’t get along but learn to respect each other as they solve a crime. Sound familiar? Lethal Weapon has made a franchise out of this hackneyed formula. But unless the chemistry between the two stars works, the viewer doesn’t care what happens to either of the characters.
The fourth season of NCIS begins with one of the investigators being charged with assassinating an Iranian prisoner. Former Mossad intelligence agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), who was introduced last season, has been framed, and there’s only one man who can clear her name. Unfortunately, lead investigator Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) has retired to Mexico. But since Harmon is the star of the show, Gibbs returns to the United States to help out his colleague.
Not nearly as raunchy as some of the other teen exploitation films that came out around the same time, “Summer School” is a feel-good movie in which all the characters are clueless, but also kind of likable for some inexplicable reason.
With two solid seasons already banked, NCIS returns for a compelling third year with exciting plotlines and a slightly tweaked cast. The show’s second season ended with the brutal and shocking death of Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander). The first two episodes of this season deal with the aftermath of bringing her killer to justice and examining the emotional impact of her loss on the remaining members of the NCIS team, which is led by Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon).
NCIS takes the CSI formula, throws in a good dose of JAG, and comes up with an entertaining series that takes advantage of the actors’ likeability. The season begins with the introduction a couple new regulars–agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) and assistant medical examiner Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen). And one cast member departs the show by the end of the season. The six-disc set includes all 23 episodes, which aired on CBS during 2004-2005.
Equal parts JAG and C.S.I., NCIS does a formidable job of blending relevant military headlines with quirky characters who are tenaciously determined to solve a crime–even if it means having to sleep in the morgue to get a few minutes of shut eye. Created by Donald P. Bellisario (JAG, Quantum Leap), NCIS actually began as a two-part episode of JAG in 2003. Later that year, the drama made its full-season debut on CBS.
It looks like the “NCIS” producers are ready to get rid of another character on tonight’s season finale. Last year, a sniper picked off Agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander). Promos for tonight’s episode promise that another series regular will be leaving the show.
Mark Harmon is hovering by the juniors department at Carson Pirie Scott downtown, but he’s not shopping. The star of “Chicago Hope” is preparing for his next scene, which is being filmed in an unused section of the department store’s second floor. The cast and crew of the fictional Chicago Hope Hospital fly to the Windy City two to three times each year to shoot on location.