"NCIS" (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it's a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations.

Leading this troupe of colorful personalities is NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine gunnery sergeant, whose skills as an investigator are unmatched. Gibbs is a man of few words, who only needs a look to explain it all. Working under Gibbs is Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, an ex-homicide detective who may come off as the world's oldest frat boy, but whose instincts in the field are unparalleled.

Joining them are forensic specialist Abby Sciuto, a talented scientist whose dark wit matches her Goth style and eclectic tastes, and NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate whose brilliance with computers far overshadows his insecurities in the field. Assisting the team is medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, who knows it all because he's seen it all, and he's not afraid to let you know.

Internally, the NCIS team will have to band together and recover after suffering the devastating loss of Special Agent Kate Todd at the hands of a terrorist. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.

Combining the best elements of JAG and CSI, the CBS crime series Navy NCIS focused on an elite, independent unit of the U.S. Navy, which, in its pursuit of military-related criminal investigations, was answerable to no higher authority -- and thus, of course, was utterly impartial and incorruptible. The head of the series' Naval Criminal Investigative Service was the fiercely independent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon. His team included eccentric coroner "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum), streetwise ex-homicide detective Anthony Dinozzo (Michael Weatherly), longtime Secret Service operative Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander), and irreverent young goth-girl lab tech Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette). Created by Donald P. Bellisario, Navy NCIs first aired September 23, 2003. Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide.