I don't really watch
NCIS, truth be told -- my wife does, and I nod appreciatively when the situation calls for it. I was half-watching
tonight's episode when a familiar shape caught my attention... and then a jolt of
cognitive dissonance surprise made me sit straight up on the couch and exclaim "
What did he say?!?"
Resident NCIS geek Tim McGee (the same character who, in a past episode,
managed to download a taxicab security video directly onto his iPhone) unpacks a boxful of his childhood computer gear; he proudly announces the computer you see above as his "Mac SE," when you don't need
HDTV to know that it's a
Mac Classic -- but if you do have an HDTV, you can clearly see "Macintosh Classic" printed on the front of the machine. McGee either can't read, or he has a delusional disorder of some kind that prevents him from properly recognizing vintage Mac gear. Later in the episode, he gets taunted for his childhood Macloverdom. It's just trouble from Jump Street on down.
McGee also unloads a
PowerBook Duo and a nondescript PC laptop from his magic box. You can see the entire video, including the SE/Classic flub, in the continuation of this post.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
matt said 11:58PM on 1-13-2009
still love ncisFIRST
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Daniel said 1:06AM on 1-14-2009
Yes, and you're still a complete and total cock.
s said 12:03AM on 1-14-2009
Hah! Yeah, probably the writer's room changed it at the last minute, and the prop department was like 'Fuck you, I'm not driving all the way across town for another g-ddamned crapass old Mac. Get your own geek shit, Mr Last-Minute Dialogue Change!"
I know how these things work.
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Darren said 12:08AM on 1-14-2009
Trivia Time!
The Mac/SE, released in 1987, was the first Macintosh to use the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) for its keyboard and mouse interface. However, it was not the first *Apple* computer to use ADB. That's why the command key has (or, had) two different symbols.
ADB survived for over 10 years until the iMac came along and replaced it with USB.
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Eric said 12:08AM on 1-14-2009
I had a Macintosh SE - the main difference (other than the text, obviously), is the grooves, which the Classic doesn't have.
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sonicwind said 12:12AM on 1-14-2009
This is why geeks/nerds get beat up. You're lucky he doesn't just refer to it as a pc. Everyone with any detailed knowledge of any obscure subject such as antique Macs can easily point out some inaccuracy on a TV show or movie. Wow.
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mabhatter said 12:48AM on 1-14-2009
because pulling out a piece of computer history and naming it wrong is a crime... imagine if they pulled up in a '57 Chevy and called it a GTO .. they're both old GM 60's cars... right?
Michael Rose said 7:57PM on 1-14-2009
Sure, but isn't it a little bit surprising that on a set with 50+ people nobody said "C'mon, it SAYS 'Macintosh Classic' on the front!"?
Dean Baird said 12:14AM on 1-14-2009
Reason I won't watch that show #317: Touting the "transition to PC" as a rite of passage. Like losing one's virginity.
OK, maybe there's something there. More like losing one's, erm, backside virginity. I'll keep mine, thank you very much.
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Mack said 12:31AM on 1-14-2009
I can't believe you guys.....
Why, you missed the response... at 8:47pm (PST) the lab gal says...
"I'm shocked at you.... What are you shocked at (he answers) that I was a geek... (she responds) NO, that you were a MAC GUY!"
Keep things in context here guys...
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Txn99 said 5:24AM on 1-16-2009
Can someone who has the show on DVR post that little clip for me?
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AussieCasper0219 said 12:42AM on 1-14-2009
We can't blame the actor or the character he portrays for this blatant flub. It's the property department that should be chastised for bad continuity.
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Louie said 12:23AM on 1-14-2009
Seinfeld, on the other hand, did have an SE/30. Amirite?
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Jonathan Wise said 8:06AM on 1-14-2009
You are correct, sir. He also had a PowerBook Duo (with Duo Dock) and a 20th Anniversary Mac (among others)
lanejasper69 said 11:28AM on 1-16-2009
He also had an LC (not sure what model I, II, or III)
Boyo said 1:14AM on 1-14-2009
1. It's NCIS
2. It's NCIS
3. OMG IT'S NCIS
I've formated Tivo's for recording better crap than that POS-Show.
If purgatory has a TV, NCIS is on it.
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Jonathan Wise said 8:07AM on 1-14-2009
Agreed. I can't stand the over-acting... my wife loves it though!
Johnny said 12:00PM on 1-14-2009
Yeah, no real surprise that they messed this up. Every time I've seen that stupid show, they do or say something completely inaccurate and ridiculous. I also can't stand that overaged teeny-bopper acting goth chick with her impossible pseudo-tech. I understand that it's just television, but... really, how hard would it be to check these things out first? Or in case of the Mac Classic/SE, how hard is it to read the case and then change the line at the last second?
Dan said 1:13AM on 1-14-2009
I still love it! Yeah it would have been cooler to not have the prop department make the mistake to use a Macintosh Classic in place of an SE.
It is still cool to see the Mac get props on television.
Trivia #2
What Computer did James Doohan use in Star Trek IV to demonstrate transparent aluminum to a plastics manufacturer?
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onicon said 2:38AM on 1-14-2009
It's a Mac Plus
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/thumb/4/4a/MacintoshPlus.jpg/800px-MacintoshPlus.jpg