TV Madness 2019: NCIS, Designated Survivor square off in round 1
In this article, we have a showdown that we think will prove to be rather interesting — after all, it’s between one of television’s longest-running shows and also one that just managed to stick around for a season 3. NCIS is entering this round of the tournament with experience (it has been a part of TV Madness for years) and wiles; yet, Designated Survivor may very much embrace its status as underdog. It’s a newcomer to TV Madness, but will it show that experience does not matter?
If you’ve taken part in TV Madness before, you likely know how this works — we spotlight the two competitors and then, on the other side of it, give you a poll for you to commence your voting! The poll is located at the bottom of this article.
How voting works – Vote however often you would like! (Technical instructions for multiple voting can be found right above the poll.) We will keep this poll open until Tuesday, March 12 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time, which is when the champion will square off against either Law & Order: SVU or Suits, depending on who wins that particular showdown. SVU may be the favorite, but just remember that last year’s tournament was one by The Brave, which started off TV Madness as a #7 seed. Anything can happen and that is one of the reasons we love this tournament so.
You can see the full bracket (including start dates for each individual round) in the graphic at the top of this article.
The competitors
NCIS (#3 seed) – Entering the tournament this year, the Mark Harmon-led CBS drama is in an interesting spot. Commercially, it’s every bit as successful as it’s been for some time — even with slightly lower ratings versus season 15, it’s still one of TV’s most-stable shows and it’s keeping up with market trends. Story-wise, it may be in a more exciting place than we’ve seen in years. We’re coming off of a really great story for McGee in “Once Upon a Tim,” and that is without even mentioning the powerful story of “She,” which seemingly confirmed that Cote de Pablo’s character of Ziva is alive and very much out there.
So why isn’t one of the most-watched shows in the world seeded higher? Its performance in TV Madness, despite its popularity, has been a little bit mixed over the years. This is a chance to make a big showcase to coincidence with some of the show’s positive buzz.
Designated Survivor (#6 seed) – No show wants to be canceled. However, if there’s a silver lining in the case of Designated Survivor, it is its new home over at Netflix. Moving into season 3 (which presumably will launch later this year), the Kiefer Sutherland series is going to have a chance to tell bigger, bolder stories, ones that are topical and take even greater risks. It can be a reflection of our difficult political times, while also giving hope to people from all walks of life that there is hope for compromise and a unified American spirit can very much exist. (Of course, there’s also going to be crazy drama.)
Designated Survivor is a newcomer to TV Madness, no doubt — but sometimes, we’ve seen newcomers perform extremely well! We’re excited to see just what the show makes for itself in the tournament this year.
Let the voting commence…
Be sure to share who you want to see advance in our TV Madness Tournament below!
I can’t see the poll; what do I do? – If you are on mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page and click to view the non-AMP version. If that does not work, give the poll a moment to load! On some mobile browsers, it may take a moment.
How can I vote more than once? – If you are having trouble casting multiple votes, try switching your browser, your device, or visiting the page under private browsing or incognito mode. There should be many handy guides online explaining how to do so if interested.