"NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service" is a spin-off of the popular show "JAG" and focuses on a crimes related to the Nay and the U.S. Marine Corps. Featuring a veteran cast of stellar performers including Mark Harmon, David McCallum ("The Man From U.N.C.L.E." which will hopefully show up on DVD soon if the gods of the legal system can iron out their difficulties). Produced by Donald Bellasario ("Quantum Leap", "Magnum P.I." and, of course, "JAG") this isn't your typical rip-off of "CSI" as the characters aren't limited to just what happens in Las Vegas or Miami but do a bit of globetrotting to deal with a wide variety of crimes. Filled with witty dialogue and strong performances "NCIS" is an impressive show. With the cast's dry wit (and David McCallum's wicked performance as the coroner the show) has its own distinctive personality. ---

Image & Sound: A sharp, colorful presentation blacks are rock solid with nice detail. There are some rare compression artifacts but, overall, the show receives a very nice transfer. Audio is quite good as well presented stereo surround with nice depth and presence. ---

We get four featurettes. The first "What's New in Season 2" provides us with info on some of the changes from season one and developing storylines. A warning about the show is that this featurette has spoilers for the second season stories so I'd suggest watching this AFTER having watched the entire season set. There are plenty of interviews with Mark Harmon, David McCallum and other actors from the show as well as the writing/producing teams that contribute to the show's production side. ***

"Investigating Season 2" focuses on the changes from the first season, some of the changes in the characters and storylines for the second season. Interviews with the bulk of the cast and the writing/producing teams are included. ***

"The Real NCIS" is a short featurette focusing on the real life inspiration for the series. Richard Warmack a Special Agent in the NCIS discusses how the series has improved the profile of the organization and there's also comments from Mark Harmon about the reality vs. TV world they represent. ***

"Lab Tour with Pauley Perrette" features the actress from the show who plays Abby a forensic scientist giving fans a tour of the set. Perrette allows fans to get a close up look at the various props used throughout the show. ---

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