Even though Robi Boscarino lives a world away, the 17-year-old Australian still manages to tune into CBS' "NCIS" seven nights a week. Earlier this month, the Perth resident visited the hit crime procedural's sound stages in Valencia and caught his favorite character, DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), in action.
"Back home, everybody likes him," said Boscarino, who has Hodgkin's lymphoma and whose big dream to visit the set was made possible by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. "He's one of the most popular TV actors, for sure. This is more than I expected, to be honest. I didn't expect him to be like he is in the character. He's very funny."
Boscarino is one of millions around the globe who has helped make the special agents of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service household names in such far-off places as France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Sweden. And it seems like the United States has finally, and officially, caught on by making the show -- and its new spinoff "NCIS: Los Angeles" -- among the top scripted shows in prime time. Its seasonal averages, especially for an aging show and a newcomer that air back-to-back on a Tuesday night, are eye-popping: "NCIS" boasts 21 million, while "NCIS: Los Angeles" claims a robust 18 million.
"There are psychics all over town going, 'Didn't see that coming! Hard to call,' " Weatherly joked in his trailer, while eating a slice of cold pizza. "But it's a great feeling. It's like those movies about the racehorse that's not supposed to be -- we weren't bred in some Kentucky barn of some billionaire who has Arabian stallions. We're just a plow horse. But we run fast! It's one of those stories."
To be sure, "NCIS," a spinoff of "JAG," has never been a dud. The Navy crimes procedural premiered in 2003 and finished in 26th place its first year with 11.8 million viewers. The audience grew steadily, ranking in the top 20 during seasons 3, 4, and 5 -- standing strong against the mighty "American Idol" -- until it pushed ahead to fifth place last season, encouraging CBS executives to launch a spinoff. That new series is way ahead of the pack, even surpassing the success of "The Mentalist" last season.
"There's a saying we have, 'There's no happiness in this business, just relief,' " said CBS President of Entertainment Nina Tassler. "Let's just say I was extremely relieved when the first week's numbers came in."
