All for one, etc.
I have a theory. It involves Star Trek, NCIS and Winnie the Pooh.
Characters like Spock, Captain Kirk, Jethro Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo, Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit and Eeyore are internationally popular figures. They rest at the heart of three iconic “stories” that have become part of our popular culture.
According to the Internet, (and in this case, I trust it), the original Star Trek series ran for three seasons and aired 79 episodes. It spawned 12 spinoff shows. The original NCIS has run for 23 seasons, and been renewed for a 24th. It has aired 507 episodes and inspired seven spinoffs.
The 1924 collection of verse by A.A. Milne entitled “When We Were Very Young” contains the first mention of the teddy bear that would become Winnie the Pooh. Milne wrote four books about Pooh and the world of Christopher Robin. Authorized prequels and sequels to his stories are still being written today, nearly 100 years later. And Disney has produced scores of movies and cartoons featuring the gentle friends of the Hundred Acre Wood.
Why have these stories and characters enjoyed such unwavering appeal? In the case of Star Trek, there’s the lure of space exploration and the desire “to boldly go” wherever a split infinitive could take us as an audience. Gene Roddenberry created a fascinating universe and as fans, we couldn’t wait to be part of it every week.
NCIS leverages the fascination audiences have with criminal investigations, solving a new case every week. And the investigating office is a little-known agency within the Navy, so the military tie-in makes a handy way to feature another kind of universe that isn’t well-known to the general public.
Winnie the Pooh is simply a charming world filled with charming characters. From Pooh and Piglet’s sky-high ride on a blustery day to Pooh’s becoming wedged in Rabbit’s front door after eating too much honey, the improbable kerfuffles of these innocent friends still enchant.
But it takes more than an immersive setting to create the sort of staying power enjoyed by these three franchises, as it were. My theory is, these stories share The Family Effect.
The characters sometimes annoy one another. They argue and disagree. They aren’t perfect. But we find it entertaining because their foundational unity is unquestioned.
Dr. McCoy and Spock are all but antagonists. McCoy delights in aiming verbal attacks at the ever-logical Vulcan, calling Spock a “pointy-eared hobgoblin” or worse. But he wouldn’t hesitate to jump in front of a phaser for Spock.
Gibbs, albeit good-naturedly, smacks coworkers on the back of the head. He and the various NCIS directors spar over tactics and agency politics. But they work it out, even if it takes two or three episodes.
Tigger gets on everyone’s nerves with his bouncing. Rabbit is fastidious and grumpy. Eeyore is perpetually sad. Owl is a misfortunate know-it-all. But they bear with one another, no pun intended.
In each of these stories, we understand that should true peril ensue, the characters will brush aside their differences and stand united.
If the last crew members don’t “beam up” with the rest of the scout team, the Enterprise will return to a hostile planet to extract them. If Gibbs goes dark on a personal mission, the rest of the team will defy protocol to search for him. If Piglet is stranded in a flood, Pooh will lend Christopher Robin’s upturned umbrella as a boat to save his tiny friend.
Like true families, these characters acknowledge each other’s faults, but choose to esteem one another in spite of them. They cultivate corporate inspiration to get out of tough spots. No intrigue. No sabotage. No backstabbing or betrayal. When it matters, these characters have each other’s backs. This dynamic is the hallmark of healthy familieis, great teams and successful communities. Radical cooperation and uncommon kindness.
Long live The Family Effect.