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How Close Is NCIS To The Real Thing?

(CBS) -- NCIS is the number one show on television, and while doing autopsies is not glamorous work, people are fascinated with forensic pathology.

But how real and true are the forensics on NCIS? CBS 2 went to an expert to find out: the chief medical examiner of Cook County plus one of the stars of NCIS, who does the same kind of work on TV.
The Cook County Morgue on the West Side is a place no one wants to go, unless you have the chance to interview Cook County medical examiner, Dr. Stephen Cina and Barrington native Brian Dietzen, who plays forensic pathologist Jimmy Palmer on the hit CBS show NCIS.

On this day the real doctor is showing the TV doc a few tricks of the trade. So what does the man who does this everyday think about the portrayal of reality on NCIS?

Cina says they, "Know what they are doing. The respect they show for the patient is apparent, we treat our people like patients as well. The detail for the anatomy is very good, I think the special effects are quite good.

"They really stay with ancillary role of the medical examiner or forensic pathologist. They're not central to solving a crime -- that's not our role. We bring out medical facts. We're not biased by police or prosecution. Your job is to help law enforcement to do job."

Dietzen says they, "Try to be as true to life as possible, but within reality of telling story in 42 minutes or less. That's our biggest cheat, the amount of time it take to do what you guys do, which might take weeks."

And what has NCIS done when it comes to the image of a forensic pathologist?

"Before it would have been fringy people into gore, growing up on Freddy Krueger movies. Now I probably get a couple calls a month from somebody in high school, you know, 'I want to be a forensic pathologist, what do I have to do?'" Cina said.

Dietzen says it shows, "We have a life outside of the victims we are trying to help and their families.

"You have to have fun, you have to joke, you have to talk about the game last night, you have to talk about your girlfriend or your wife, talk about real life. In our show, that really translates to a lot of really funny stuff."

Why does this show work and why is it wildly successful?

"They say it's the family of it," Dietzen said. "The crazy sister Abby that is downstairs and the father figure in Gibbs and grandfather Ducky who is always there to talk to and you're the insane cousin that will say inappropriate things."

Dietzen says his character Jimmy Palmer was only supposed to make one appearance on the show years ago. But, ten plus years later, he's a fixture on what has become the number one show in the world.

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