Bingeworthy TV: NCIS

Do you love CSI, Criminal Minds, or Law & Order and want to find a similar show? NCIS is one of the longest-running primetime TV series* and is perfect for your next TV binge. It follows a team of investigators with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service that investigate murders involving the US Navy and Marine Corps. It is the perfect mix of forensic science investigation and tough police-type interrogations.

The main character is Leroy Jethro Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon). He is a no-nonsense leader that has a great team of investigators that change over the seasons but have included Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), and Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). Other recurring characters include the medical examiner Ducky (David McCallum) and my personal favorite: goth-loving forensic scientist Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette).



The show is full of action and suspense and is geared toward an adult audience. It contains many mature themes and every episode has graphic images so it might not be for those who get squeamish at the sight of dead bodies! However, there are plenty of humorous moments to cut through the tension.



Overall, I recommend this series to anyone who likes drama, forensic science, or investigative shows. There are many complex plot lines that keep you on the edge of your seat and each character is extremely well developed. It is perfect for binging because some of the storylines go across the entire season, so you want to keep watching until the end!

~Thea, Technical Services

*NCIS is a spin-off of the earlier military crime series JAG and you can see Gibbs's first episode (Ice Queen) in season 8 of JAG.

Bingeworthy TV: Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey has become the gold standard of period dramas. For many people, nothing will ever compare and though it ran for 6 series (we call them seasons on this side of the pond) and ended in 2015, Downton Abbey is still incredibly popular. Created by Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey was co-produced by Carnival Films and Masterpiece. Episodes aired on ITV in the United Kingdom first and then after a series ended it aired on PBS in America.  

Why is Downton Abbey still so popular you may ask? There are many reasons: compelling characters and storylines, amazing scenery, amazing costumes, incredible writing...the list goes on. Downton Abbey follows the Crawley family, the hereditary Earls of Grantham, and their servants from the period between 1912 and 1925.

As part of the backstory, the main character, Robert, Earl of Grantham, had married an American heiress, Cora Levinson, to resolve past financial difficulties. Her considerable dowry was contractually incorporated into the comital entail in perpetuity. Basically that means that only a male heir can inherit the title and Cora's dowry can only be passed on to said male heir. The bad news is that Robert and Cora have 3 daughters and no sons. The oldest daughter, Mary, was to marry her second-cousin Patrick, second-in-line to the title. More bad news, the series starts with the Crawley family finding out that Patrick and his father James (first-in-line to the title) perished during an ill fated ocean voyage. Maybe you've heard of it? The ship was called the RMS Titanic.

(I wonder if Rose and Patrick were acquainted?)

For six seasons the lives of all those living at Downton Abbey are affected by historical events that took place during 1912 to 1925. Starting with the sinking of the Titanic, the Crawley's also experience the First World War, the Spanish influenza pandemic, and the Irish War of Independence, to name a few. Throughout all of this, we see the rise of the working class and the decline of the British Aristocracy. The Crawleys, and their servants, struggle to cope with the changing dynamics of the world around them.

The cast is truly amazing and, in my opinion, Maggie Smith shines the brightest as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. Her acerbic wit and one-line zingers often bring some much needed levity to some of the more dour storylines. Nobody does disapproving facial expressions like the Dowager Countess of Grantham. 

If you haven't watched Downton Abbey, sit down with a cup of tea and give it a try. It is truly a masterpiece (see what I did there?). If you have a yen to travel to England, the real Downton Abbey is called Highclere Castle located in North Hampshire, and was used for exterior shots and most of the interior filming. If you are already a fan and wish to read more about Downton Abbey, here is a handy list of books you can check-out from Carnegie-Stout.  

~Amy, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Avatar: The Last Airbender

“Water... Earth... Fire... Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. And although his airbending skills are great, he still has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But I believe Aang can save the world.”

This is a lot of pressure for a twelve-year-old boy who just came out of an iceberg. Aang, the last of the airbenders and title character of Avatar: The Last Airbender, has been encased in suspended animation for a hundred years. During that time, a war has raged and the Fire Nation has committed genocide against the Air Nomads, leaving Aang as the last of his people. In order to restore balance to the world, Aang has a year to master the remaining three elements. In each nation there are individuals who can “bend” or control their element through psychokinetic martial arts. The avatar is the only person who can master all four elements and is tasked with maintaining peace and order in the world and acting as mediator between humans and spirits.

Aang sets out on his flying bison, Appa, with his new friends Katara and Sokka to find the water, earth, and fire bending teachers so that he can realize his potential as the Avatar and end the war before it is too late. As awesome as this responsibility is, Aang is still a child and finds plenty of time to have fun and get into all kinds of shenanigans while evading and a couple times escaping Fire Nation custody. This show is fun for the whole family; children and adults alike will be riveted by Aang’s adventures, heartbreaks, and transformation into a young man with the weight or the world on his shoulders.

~Becca, Technical Services

Bingeworthy TV: Doctor Who

Doctor Who is the definition of a fandom that is bigger on the inside.  If you’re looking for a series to watch where you don’t have to be sad about it ending too soon, this is the one for you! Doctor Who began in 1963 (yes, you read that right) and is still going strong 840 episodes later!

If you’re not looking to start from the beginning, the most recent Doctor (Peter Capaldi) is a great place to start watching. Each season acts as a stand-alone for those wanting to “test the waters” and features action, humor, and science fiction wrapped into one fantastic package!

For those new to Who, it is about an alien named the Doctor who has a spaceship that can travel throughout time and space (the TARDIS). He goes on adventures with various companions and saves the universe from aliens who want to destroy it. He has a special ability to regenerate into a new body when he is injured, which has led to many different actors portraying the Doctor.

The series has always been ahead of its time culturally and addresses many current social issues in fun and creative ways. This has led to Jodie Whittaker becoming the first female actress to portray the Doctor beginning this October. I seriously can’t wait!

-Thea, Technical Services

Bingeworthy TV: Boardwalk Empire

Period dramas can be an entertaining mix of historical facts and popular folklore. Writers of these historical dramas have a way of sparking a viewer’s interest in history that a dry textbook doesn’t. Boardwalk Empire is definitely one of those shows if you are a history enthusiast like myself. It is fascinating how the show’s creator and writers recreate a period piece to tell this type of story.

The show is set in the Prohibition Era and takes you inside the criminal underworld in Atlantic City. Boardwalk Empire is centered around the life of Nucky Thompson. His character is based on real life 1920s New Jersey political figure Enoch Lewis “Nucky” Johnson and his colleagues and rivals.

The inner conflicts of each character help the viewer get a glimpse of what life was like on both sides of the law. There are the criminals and there is the law, and even some law enforcement could not resist the temptation of booze. The conflict between the characters gives momentum to the story line in each episode and builds all the way to the final season.

This show has elements meant for a mature audience: sex, crime, scandals, and violence. Yet the story cannot be fully understood nor effective without them. In my opinion, if there were a “watered down” version of this show, it would not have lasted five seasons.

From the cinematic scenes to the finely recreated sets, the cast and crew bring the historic Atlantic City to life. This series is so compelling that you cannot get away from your TV. So, get your snacks and put on your comfortable clothes because this show is a must-see!

-Alanda, Circulation

Staff Review: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson contains a lot of information jam-packed in a little book. Could someone learn a subject like astrophysics in a hurry? Do I know all about astrophysics now? No, but I do have a general idea about the problems astrophysicists are working with and a genuine interest in these mysteries. That is perhaps the best place to be on a new subject. Tyson has the book extremely well organized and his enthusiasm is infectious.

We start out with the Big Bang Theory, how that theory came about, and the substances that made up that very early universe after the Big Bang. I never took chemistry in high-school, and I remember just bits and pieces from physics (sorry Mrs. Walton), so a lot of the terms went over my head. One gets the general picture of the universe in its infancy with particles swirling around, interacting with each other creating a kind of cosmic soup. He made me want to go back and figure out how protons, electrons, and neutrons work. What are those things called quarks? – and what a great name! 

Along the way we discover things like Dark Matter and Dark Energy – how they were discovered and what they are. Einstein gets his props of course and it’s emphasized just how much of a mark this guy left on the field of physics and consequently, the world. Most of modern astrophysics comes back to his theories – attempting to tweak, prove, or disprove some aspect. The chapter on light captured my interest, having a wife who is a visual artist kept me thinking about the relationship between light, colors, and our ability to see. 

This is a great introduction to the subject of astrophysics and it’s laid out in a language one doesn't need an advanced degree to understand. Don’t approach this book thinking you’ll be an expert when you finish. Expect to think about the universe as an astrophysicist might and get a taste for their language and the problems they’re working on today. This book begs for multiple readings. It may cause you, like me, to want to dust off those mental shelves of information you packed away after high-school and re-approach these subjects with a new found optimism and curiosity. It’s never too late to flex those science muscles and practice your career as an armchair Astrophysicist.

~Ben, Adult Services