Still, why would "NCIS" be working better than ever in its sixth season? CBS and Paramount executives pointed to a change in the show's creative leadership two years ago, when a veteran writer, Shane Brennan, took control as "show runner" for "NCIS." Brennan came aboard after the departure of the prolific television hit-maker Don Bellisario ("Magnum P.I.," "JAG"), who was pushed out in a conflict with the show's star, Mark Harmon.

Often that sort of rift can derail a hit series, and Stapf admitted, "I was secretly worried about it."

But now Brennan is credited with breathing new life into the series. "He's given the show a sense of emotion you can really respond to," Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment, said. She and Stapf also mentioned a somewhat unexpected element: humor. "It's a fun show," Stapf said.

Fun? The essence of the stories, which are not unlike those of the better-known CBS hit "CSI," is murder. But the show does emphasize the camaraderie of a quirky band of investigators. Brennan said that he looked for "the naturalistic kind of humor you find in any office where people work together."

The charge from CBS and Paramount had been to "open the show up and try new things," Brennan said. So he concentrated on what he called "the core of the show, the ensemble cast." That meant finding stories that also contained memorable character moments.

"The audience remembers the moments, they forget the plots," Brennan said, adding, "It's really not a procedural."

But of course it is. That's certainly why USA was interested in buying the show two years ago. Bonnie Hammer, president of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, said: "The show fit us perfectly. It was a procedural with strong character elements." And it had an upbeat tone.

That made it similar to other USA offerings, like "Monk" and "Burn Notice." Still, it was not as though there was a raging market for "NCIS" repeats.

"I wish I could have told you I predicted this," Hammer said.

Brennan's role in the show's surge is somewhat surprising because he had never led a show before. He is a 27-year veteran of television — in Australia. But he said that gave him enormous storytelling experience because writers there work as freelancers. They must produce constantly or they don't eat. "I have no trouble coming up with stories," Brennan said.

Tassler pointed to another move that helped kick the show into a higher gear. Coming back from last season's writers' strike, Brennan fashioned a grabber of a cliffhanger that had the crime unit's previous boss, played by Lauren Holly, killed in a gunfight, and the new boss, played by Leon Vance, ordering the unit disbanded.

That hooked fans, but Brennan had no intention of making that change permanent. The unit reassembled this season.

It seems the only problem Brennan has faced came when his creative team traveled to Washington for a research visit to a real NCIS unit. Government officials, he said, "told me I was not allowed to go in because I'm a foreign national."

Brennan said that he and the cast hoped the recently improved ratings for "NCIS" would bring it more recognition, though he added, "The Emmys don't have a category for us." That would have to be something like "hugely popular but not critically acclaimed dramas."

But another form of recognition may be coming. CBS has proved with "CSI" that it likes to expand its hit franchises. Tassler said that the network has not discussed creating anything like, say, "NCIS: Cleveland."

But one other CBS executive suggested that the television business should stand by for further plans for the "NCIS" franchise.