Friday, April 25, 2008

Mark Harmon in Jay Leno's Tonight Show (part 2)

Mark Harmon in Jay Leno's Tonight Show (part 1)

As promised here is the 1st clip of Mark Harmon in Tonight Show.

Major NCIS shake up

http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/04/08/major-ncis-shake-up/

Posted Apr 8th 2008 2:41PM by Isabelle Carreau

NCIS
Late last night, TV Guide's Michael Ausiello put in print words that NCIS fans didn't want to see: "NCIS Star Goes AWOL!" As soon as the news hit the Internet, my inbox was flooded with emails asking if I knew who was set to leave the show at the end of the season. I poked my spoilers sources but no answers yet.

NCIS fans will remember that around the same time last year, we heard that Mark Harmon wanted out because of creator Donald P. Bellisario. The latter accepted to reduce his involvement on the show so that Harmon would stay. So who is it this time? Could it be Harmon? Let's analyze the situation and make our predictions.

In his announcement, Ausiello says that it'll be a major cast member (aka a series regular) and that the person will exit the series in a dramatic fashion. He uses the word "actor" and not "actress" but any Ausiello reader knows that he loves to blur the lines; so the choice of word here could mean either male or female. The gossip columnist also adds that this departure will create repercussions that will be felt not only next season but possibly beyond.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs: If Gibbs leaves the show, it would indeed create major repercussions. Not only is he the lead character but he is the heart and soul of the series. When Harmon announced he wanted to quit last season, fans tried to imagine the series without him and it was not a pretty sight. I doubt it's Gibbs because the series would suffer from it too much but we never really know for sure, eh? If it is Gibbs, that would mean that Tony would become the team leader. We pretty much know how that would go since Tony was put in charge when Gibbs resigned from NCIS. I don't think this can be classified as "a departure that will create repercussions that will be felt for years" since we know what we would get. However, if Tony is not put in charge, it would create more ripples.

Anthony DiNozzo / Abby Sciuto / Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard / Timothy McGee / Ziva David: All of these characters are great for various reasons. Their departure would be tragic but I'm not sure it would create a major effect. We (the fans) all thought getting rid of Kate was a terrible decision, yet our mourning of her was over pretty quickly. The only way I see the departure of one of these characters create a major stir that would have ripple effects beyond last season is if it's more tragic than Kate's demise.

Jenny Shepard: Even if Jenny is not a major character, she still is a regular. I think her departure would create the most impact within the series, of course, depending how they deal with it. Imagine that Jenny dies in a tragic death. The team would want to find out who killed her and seek revenge (like they did for Kate). Since NCIS would be left without a director, they would try to promote from within first. Gibbs was acting director once, so why not him? Gibbs becomes director, Tony would become team leader, and someone else would be hired on the team. This musical chair game would have a major effect on the show since it would change the dynamics of the series. Then again, since Jenny is not that important to the show, maybe she's not the one leaving...

Personally, I would prefer that either Ducky, Ziva or Jenny leaves because they would be the easiest to replace (Jimmy could take Ducky's position; since Ziva replaced Kate, someone could replace Ziva; Jenny could be replaced by someone from outside or Gibbs). I care for all three and would prefer that no one leaves and that my favorite NCIS team stays intact.

As soon as I get more clues and/or the name of the person leaving the show, I'll inform you either in a post or in Spoilers Anonymous.

Who do you think is leaving the show?

Desperate Housewives vs. NCIS: What's the Better HDTV Show?

http://www.tvpredictions.com/desperatencis041908.htm

TVPredictions.com sets out to discover which high-def program is the best of all.
By
Allison Moore

Washington, D.C. (April 19, 2008) -- Okay, which one is a better HDTV show? ABC's Desperate Housewives or CBS' NCIS?

In round one of the LCD division of our first annual elimination tournament to determine the best show in High-Definition, we pit Desperate Housewives (fourth seed) vs. NCIS (5th seed).

(To learn more about our tournament -- and see past results -- click
Best HDTV Show)


Desperate Housewives,
a steamy look at suburban wives, has been a ratings hit for ABC.
Desperate Housewives airs Sunday night on ABC.

NCIS,
which stars Mark Harmon as the chief of a Naval investigative crime team, has won a loyal following for its intense drama.
NCIS airs Tuesday nights on CBS.

So cast your vote below!
_____________________________________________
Final Poll Results:

NCIS -- 68 percent
Desperate Housewives -- 32 percent.

Mark Harmon hits another career high with ‘NCIS’

http://thenorthernlight.canadaeast.com/whatson/article/261446

Mark Harmon is one of those actors who just doesn’t quit.

Caption
Mark Harmon stars in the hit CBS series“NCIS.”

He’s been appearing in prime-time TV series since the 1970s, and his latest project is just one of many career highlights.

He currently stars as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, leader of a team of military investigators in “NCIS,” airing Tuesday on CBS and Global.

The series chronicles the efforts of the team as it probes any and all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties. As a man of few words, Harmon’s acting chops are truly tested, often relying on just a look to get his message across.

It’s a role that requires a certain level of self-assurance, and after so many years in the business, the actor’s confidence shines through.

What was once just a sprinkle of salt-and-pepper hair has now taken over, but Harmon is as dashing as ever in his latest role. In fact,“NCIS”is arguably one of his most successful professional projects.

With a famous family behind him, it’s no wonder Harmon has thrived in show biz.

His mother was Elyse Knox, a fashion designer turned actress who starred in a number of films for Universal throughout the 1940s. Her co-stars included everyone from Abbott and Costello to Lon Chaney Jr. Harmon’s father was football star and sportscaster Tom Harmon, who once played for the University of Michigan Wolverines and won the 1940 Heisman Trophy.

His older sister, Kris Harmon, is the ex-wife of music icon Ricky Nelson.

Before Harmon carved out his niche in the acting world, he followed in his father’s footsteps and played football for UCLA while studying communications. While playing quarterback for the UCLA Bruins during the 1972-73 season, he won the National Football Award for all-around excellence.

He did not let such early successes go to his head, however. He wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, and even worked as a carpenter before his acting career took off.

Throughout the ‘70s, Harmon honed his chops with small roles in such iconic TV series as “Laverne and Shirley,” “Emergency!” and “The Love Boat.” In 1977, he earned his first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Robert Dunlap in “Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years,” a highly touted TV movie.

Viewers with very good memories might also remember him as Officer Mike Breen from the short-lived 1978 CBS TV series“Sam.”

His first big-screen appearance came with a role in 1978’s “Comes a Horseman,” starring opposite Jane Fonda and James Caan. He joined even more Hollywood heavyweights in the 1979 sequel “Beyond the Poseidon Adventure,” which also starred Michael Caine, Sally Field,Telly Savalas and Peter Boyle.

Two of his most notable projects were still to follow, the first being the prime-time soap “Flamingo Road.”

From the creators of the mega-hit“Dallas,” the show was NBC’s first foray into the prime-time soap arena, and Harmon led the cast as ambitious politician Fielding Carlyle opposite Morgan Fairchild, who played his scheming wife, Constance.

The show propelled him to mainstream success, but it was his work in the critically acclaimed ‘80s medical drama “St. Elsewhere” that made him a superstar. Cast as hospital “Romeo” Dr. Bobby Caldwell in 1983, Harmon showcased his acting skills as the original “Dr. McDreamy” and left the show in 1986 when his character developed AIDS.

He surprised audiences when he completely changed gears for his next role, that of serial killer Ted Bundy in “The Deliberate Stranger,” a 1986 TV movie.

His versatility intrigued fans and industry pundits, and that same year he was voted People’s Sexiest Man Alive.

The next few years were a flurry of activity as he took on several projects, including a memorable guest-starring stint as Sam in the hit comedy “Moonlighting.”

He received a Golden Globe nomination for his work in the TV movie “After the Promise,” and starred in the big-screen flicks “Summer School” (1987), “The Presidio” (1988) and “Stealing Home” (1988).

In 1996, he returned to the medical drama genre as Dr. Jack McNeil in “Chicago Hope.” He stayed with the show until its demise in 2000.

It wasn’t long before “NCIS,” a spinoff of the popular show “JAG,” came along. The actor was welcomed to prime time once again when the show premiered in the fall of 2003. The show has some personal connotations for Har mon, who has real-life ties to the Navy. His grandfather, William Franklin Knox, was United States Secretary of the Navy during the Second World War.

Mark Harmon and the NCIS Gang Probe a Murder in Baghdad


http://www.tvguide.com/cover-story/sweeps-Ncis-harmon/080423-04



Wednesday, April 23, 2008
by Steve Pond

NCIS by Michael Desmond/CBS
NCIS


"Want some popcorn?" On the Southern California set of NCIS, Mark Harmon has already offered to fetch water bottles for everybody in his vicinity, from costar Cote de Pablo to a network rep to a visiting journalist. But now he's moved on: Just back from the craft services table with a bag of freshly popped popcorn, the star of the show is doing his best to make sure that nobody around here goes hungry, either.

"Mark," says De Pablo with a laugh, "is always trying to feed us."

So it goes on this soundstage half an hour north of Los Angeles, home to what might be the friendliest, most accommodating set in the TV business. "We're late in the fifth season, going into the sixth," says Sean Murray, who plays tech whiz Timothy McGee. "I was saying to Harmon, 'You know, I've been on shows before where you're half a year in and you feel like you've been there 10 years already. But we're doing episode 112, or whatever it is, and this still feels fresh. It doesn't feel like we're sitting around doing the same old thing, getting bored with each other.'"

Before the writers' strike, NCIS also managed, during its first year under new show-runner Shane Brennan, to pull off a rarity, attracting its biggest audience ever for an episode in November. "I've never been on a show that gets ratings like this, and gets better ratings in its fifth season than in its first or second," says Harmon, the 56-year-old actor whose hefty TV résumé includes everything from Flamingo Road to St. Elsewhere to The West Wing.

Brennan charged himself with streamlining the show's then-chaotic production schedule and getting scripts in early enough that the cast is able to hold read-throughs before they shoot. Another goal, he says, was to "dip into more emotional storylines and give an audience answers to those lingering questions that had been set up the first four seasons."

For the rest of the season (including a two-hour finale), he promises revelations, shockers and new locations — including Baghdad, where agent Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and analyst Nikki Jardin (Susan Kelechi Watson) travel in this week's episode. "The trick was not to turn it into a war movie," Brennan says. "They're investigating a crime scene, which happens to be in Baghdad. It's not about the fighting in Iraq; it's about someone we know, Tony, and someone we don't know as well, Nikki, in an extreme situation."

The Baghdad scenes were filmed in a rural area not far from the Valencia soundstage where NCIS normally shoots, on a couple of days when swirling wind and bare ground made for rough conditions. "I'm still cleaning sand out of every crevice and orifice," cracks Watson, whose character provides an emotional kick at the end of the episode when it's revealed just why a germaphobic, normally desk-bound analyst would want to make the trip to Iraq.

With the rest of the squad working the investigation from back in Washington, D.C., jealousies and squabbles inevitably arise — par for the course on a series that blends quirky character humor with serious situations in a way that De Pablo says is "sort of like real life." She also notes that it's more like the oddball ensemble shows of yesteryear, such as The A-Team and Magnum, P.I.

It's a blend that the leading man is comfortable with after five seasons. But Harmon's equally comfortable with the idea that he — and we — might suddenly learn something entirely new about a character, even his own, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. "We've never known much about him, because he's pretty private about his life," says the actor. "Last season, we found out that he'd been married five times instead of four…. Or was it four times instead of three?" A shrug. "I don't even remember how many. That was new to me. But you just go with it."

There are lots of things to just go with in the remainder of this strike-shortened season. For example, a major cast member will be murdered before the finale. Fan speculation has centered on Lauren Holly's character, Jenny Shepard, who oversees the unit and has a romantic history with Gibbs that goes back to when they were stationed in Europe. In recent weeks, the behavior of medical examiner "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum) has also suggested that Shepard has a mysterious ailment, and he's helping cover it up.

Ask the cast what's going on, and De Pablo says she knows but isn't telling, while Murray swears he's in the dark. Harmon ponders the question the following day, over coffee at a modest diner near his home on Los Angeles' West Side. "I don't really know everything that happens the rest of the season," he says cautiously. "Is somebody leaving? I'm not sure." A pause. "What did Shane say about it?"

Download Mark's video on Jay Leno's show!

You need to use torrent to download the file. I probably upload the video on youtube, but can't make sure when I will have time to upload. So if you really want to watch Mark's new video, then you're welcome to: http://www.mininova.org/tor/1326098 and download :)