Parents' Guide to

NCIS: Los Angeles

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Formulaic crime show spin-off breaks little new ground.

TV CBS Drama 2009
NCIS: Los Angeles Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 15 parent reviews

Pegasus1
Pegasus1 Adult
October 17, 2021
age 16+

Down hill

Used to be a fairly decent show. However, like most network TV, it has become a platform for biased agenda. Not worth watching anymore. We have seen it from its beginning, we have deleted it from the DVR now. Nothing worse than trying to enjoy an evening to watch a program and relax, then to have the network shoving baseless nonsense down your throat. If thats your thing, then thats your show.
Jennyp225
Jennyp225 Adult
June 2, 2021
age 18+

Anna

I’m not crazy about Anna. Not the theory of her character but her face expressions.
See all 15 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Special Agent G Callen (Chris O'Donnell) and his partner Sam Hanna (LL Cool J) are the top field agents in the NCIS: LOS ANGELES office, a special unit of the Navy charged with investigating crimes that involve members of the military. The team specializes in undercover operations that often require Callen and Hanna to infiltrate dangerous criminal gangs. The missions are dangerous, but the investigators' military training (and high-tech gadgets) help them prevail no matter how grim the situation looks.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (15 ):
Kids say (20 ):

The series, a spin-off of the long-running NCIS (itself a spin-off of JAG) won't win any prizes for originality; it follows the same tried-and-true formula as its predecessors and many other cop shows. It hints at interesting backstories for Callen (an orphan who never received a birthday card and doesn't even know his own full first name) and Hanna (a former SEAL and an expert in Middle Eastern cultures) but does little to actually develop their characters (fleshing them out might distract from the more important job of adhering to the standard plotlines).

Callen and Hanna are backed up by a team that's also straight from central casting, including a computer whiz and a newbie who's a walking encyclopedia of useful facts but has no experience or street smarts. Even the always-appealing Linda Hunt can't make her character -- the long-suffering supervisor whose gruff exterior hides a warm heart -- seem original. There's nothing especially wrong with NCIS: Los Angeles, but there's nothing new here, either. But fans of crime procedurals might find its predictability comforting.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about TV crime dramas. What does NCIS: Los Angeles have in common with other procedural series? Why do you think this type of series continues to have such strong appeal?

  • How does the violence on this show compare to that on other crime dramas? Do crime shows have to be violent to be entertaining?

  • Most people think about battleships and sailors when they think of the Navy, but the special unit on this show is more akin to the FBI. Were you aware that that there are such parts of the military? How do most TV shows and films portray the military culture?

TV Details

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