NCIS

NCIS has built it's cachet by being a procedural that does stand-alone episodes, so it may come as a surprise to discover that it's one of those shows that becomes richer when viewed in order over the course of its entire run.

The ensemble is nicely character-driven, with strong and interesting individuals, and while it is nominally set in the Navy's criminal investigation division, the military is not always a prominent feature. The mysteries themselves cover a nice range of settings and puzzles.

There is some fiddling to do in the first season: Tony, whose shtick would eventually become encyclopedic film knowledge is actually film-ignorant at the beginning of the series. And as you watch the entire run, there are some items that don't stay quite in focus (Have McGee and Abby slept together? The evidence about their relationship is decidedly mixed over the seasons)

But Mark Harmon in particular builds a strong and convincing character over the course of the series. And while the series is often touted for its use of humor, it can present dark and downbeat episodes as good as anything out there. This is one of the reasons to watch the series sequentially-- the show runners have an excellent sense of seasonal pace, keeping the mood from staying too dark or too silly for too long.

Additionally, there are lots of little moments for tv fans (someone asks what David McCallum's Ducky looked like when he was younger; Harmon replies, "Illya Kyriakin.") You may not want to own the series, but it's a great example of a series that grows whole new layers of interest when you netflix your way through it.

Helvetica

Yes, it's a documentary about one of the modern world's most ubiquitous font. You need to see it.

First, by tracing the history of this font, we also get another way to view the whole post-WWII ebb and flow of popular culture through the window of design.

Second, it is amazing to see how passionate and completely into it all of the designers who are interviewed can be. Not sports fans, historical figures. professional performers, famous writers-- nobody you've ever seen is any more poetic, passionate, articulate and completely committed to their craft.

Very cool, and very worth a view.