Different shows appeal to different segments of the population. As a result, something can be very popular while remaining next to unknown to segments that don’t care for it very much, as shown by the excellent example of NCIS. In short, NCIS is one of the most popular shows that can be found on the TV screen, though it receives less mention in online circles for the simple reason that its viewers have a median age of 60. As for the popularity of NCIS, it is worth looking into a couple of facts. First, it has been renewed for a seventeenth season, which is particularly remarkable because the show is already the second longest-running non-animated scripted show that is broadcast during prime-time hours.
Second, NCIS is still capable of bringing in 12 million viewers on a regular basis, which might be a sizable fall compared to the 21 million that it was capable of bringing in at its height but is still something that most shows can’t even hope to compare to. Combined, these two factors should make it clear that NCIS remains very, very popular even in the present time, so much so that pretty much everyone was expecting the renewal that came for the show.
Why Is NCIS So Popular Anyways?
There is no simple and straightforward answer for why NCIS is so popular. If there was, there would be a lot more shows of similar length. Instead, there are fewer than 20 shows that have managed to make it to 300 episodes in the United States, which should make the exclusivity of NCIS‘s length evident in a single look. With that said, this hasn’t stopped interested individuals from offering various guesses, which may or may not offer much insight into the matter.
For starters, NCIS has what one might call an uncomplicated formula. In short, each episode starts out with some kind of crime, with someone being killed being the most common example. After which, the team is informed about what has happened, with the result that some of them heads out to investigate so that the picked up evidence can be analyzed by the rest who remain behind at their place of operation. Eventually, the team pieces together enough clues to produce a resolution to the case, thus bringing the episode to a satisfaction conclusion. Naturally, police shows being police shows, the whole sequence of events is peppered with shows of dry whit, though whether the viewer will find that to be funny or not can see significant variation from person to person. In any case, it seems safe to say that one of the main reasons for NCIS‘s popularity is that it makes for comfortable viewing because of its formulaic nature, so much so that the New York Times has compared it to the TV equivalent of “meat and potatoes.”
With that said, NCIS is curious in that it can be more flexible than it seems on initial inspection. In short, the titular name refers to the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which is responsible for looking into crimes that are connected with either the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Marines in some manner. As such, NCIS possesses a relatively broad mandate compared to most other law enforcement agencies out there, which is something that the people behind NCIS have used to the fullest by focusing the episodes on a wide range of issues in a wide range of locations. This can be seen in how sometimes, the team is involved with the United States’s foreign operations, while other times, the team is looking into matters that are much closer to home. Regardless, the important part about this is that NCIS can offer a wider range of content because of its increased flexibility, thus enabling it to continue entertaining huge swathes of viewers without losing their interest by becoming boring.
Finally, there are some people who think that NCIS has benefited to some extent because it presents a simplistic worldview that is very much in line with the perception of it being TV comfort food. Essentially, these individuals argue that NCIS is consistently in support of the actions of the American government, whether when it comes to foreign operations or when it comes to internal surveillance. Due to this, it is possible that NCIS appeals to people who are less than enthused by the complexities that they see in the real world, which admittedly, can be rather exhausting with sufficiently prolonged exposure.
How Long Can NCIS Keep Running?
Whatever the case, NCIS is now confirmed for a seventeenth season. Moreover, unless it crashes for some unexpected reason in the upcoming season, it seems probable that it will be receiving further seasons in the time to come. After all, even if its numbers continue to fall from their current position, NCIS will still remain one of the most watched shows on the TV screen, meaning that it will remain worthwhile for CBS to renew it again and again.
Under such circumstances, it is perfectly natural for interested individuals to wonder how long this can continue on. Of course, there is no real way to predict this with accuracy, but one can’t help but suspect that NCIS can continue on so long as the people behind it are willing to continue making it. After all, it is episodic in nature for the most part, meaning that the relevant figures should be capable of continuing to write new stories for years and years to come without issue. Something that is particularly true because the writers for NCIS are like their counterparts with other police shows in that they aren’t shy about borrowing ideas from the latest headlines. As such, assuming that everything manages to line up perfectly, one can’t help but suspect that the show might eventually make it to Season 30 and beyond.
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