CBS has been drama central lately, and not because of the storylines in its top-rated scripted programming.

Nope, the network has made headlines as financial concerns have made for uncertain times on two of CBS' dramas: 'Criminal Minds' and 'NCIS,' the top-rated scripted series that helped CBS continue its streak (for the seventh time in eight years) as the most-watched broadcast network during the 2009-10 TV season.

Something amazing has happened recently in the TV media: the critics have discovered CBS's stealth ratings champ, NCIS, and it's now cool to come out of the closet and declare your fandom. Articles in USA Today, the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times have reported the fact that not only is NCIS consistently in the top five of the weekly Nielsen ratings, but it's also a smart, well-acted and compelling TV show.

There are reasons to admire NCIS, and if you haven't been watching, here's five really good reasons to check out the show. I know that before I got coerced into giving NCIS a try, I didn't think I'd like it, but boy, was I wrong.

NCIS has to be the #1 show that no one I know watches. I don't mean anything by that, I hear great things about it from readers here. It's just interesting that it's incredibly popular (always in the top 20, often in the top 10) and yet it's one of those shows that no one talks about (see also JAG).

As regular viewers know, the entire team was split up in the season finale, and then word came that Rocky Carroll had been made a series regular. Now comes word that the show has added three more cast members (no word on if they are in for the long haul or just this season), and one of them is a familiar face and name.

Michael Ausiello at TV Guide is reporting a big scoop: NCIS star Mark Harmon is threatening to walk off the hit CBS show.

Citing inside sources, Ausiello says that Harmon has always been fed up with producer Donald Bellisario's (Magnum, P.I., JAG, Quantum Leap) "chaotic management style" and wants off the show. The source also says that Harmon is one of the nicest guys on television and that he's in the right on this one. The dispute is described as "a big standoff."

So I'll ask you readers the same thing that Ausiello asks his readers: can NCIS survive without Mark Harmon, or is he the main reason to watch the show?

[via TV Tattle]

Sean Murray is probably best known for his role as geeky Agent Timothy McGee (nicknamed "Probie" and "McGeek" by one of the other characters) on JAG's spin off NCIS, airing on CBS.

The 29-year-old American actor has been officially acting since 1991 when he starred as Joe Jr. in Backfield in Motion, a TV project that also starred Roseanne and Tom Arnold.

(S04E20) Twenty episodes in, and I'm chomping at the bit to get to the Tony/Jeanne story. Credit to team NCIS that they have created an arc that has people waiting anxiously for a resolution. With that in mind, if you would have told me that we were going to get a stand alone episode that didn't get into any of the big seasonal stories, I doubt I would have been excited about it.

But then they went and did this. Bringing McGee's next book, "Rock Hollow," into the picture made for some great scenes. And those scenes were really what sold this one. The actual mystery was interesting, but more for what we learned about McGee and the new book than the actual whodunnit aspect. I thought they gave Landon away right off the bat when he recognized "Thom."

(S04E15) After the big revelations last week regarding the ongoing case, I fully expected a stand-alone episode that mostly ignored it this week. And that is pretty much what was delivered. It's ok though, because while it was open and shut, this was an interesting case.

What really sold the mystery for me was the way it was presented. The Club One angle worked on a couple different levels. I would have said it was worth it just for the scene with McGee, Abby, Ziva, and Lee making their entrance, but there was much more.

The exclusivity of the club put the team at a disadvantage because they couldn't investigate as they normally would. It had the bonus of putting us in the same situation, because we couldn't get a feel for the suspects.