Falls Church Stars in an Episode of NCIS: Hollywood's Obsession with the Nation's Capital

A new CNN poll out shows most Americans think the current Congress is the worst in history. One thing Washington is doing right? Providing plenty of fodder for Hollywood.

You can't click on the TV these days without hearing about bits and pieces of the Beltway mentioned on fictional shows such as Scandal, NCIS, House of Cards, Covert Affairs, Criminal Minds, Veep and Homeland.

The shows are based on scandal, crime and corruption and some of the do-gooders and in-fighting at the real White House, Homeland Security, the CIA, FBI, NCIS and Congress. Here's a look at some of the programs:

• The characters on Criminal Minds work for the FBI and are based in Quantico, Va., home to the real FBI Academy and its Behavioral Science Unit, which "focuses specifically on criminal human behavior in an attempt to better understand criminals—who they are, how they think, why they do what they do—as a means to help solve crimes and prevent criminal activity." 

• Falls Church figured prominently in a recent episode of NCIS, as the location for an alibi, when a man "maintains his innocence in the hit and run case...when he reveals his alibi—he was committing murder miles away in Falls Church." NCIS, which stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service, was the most-watched TV show for the entire 2012-2013 season. While the TV show characters are headquartered at the Washington Navy Yard, the real NCIS headquarters is located at Quantico.

• We're guessing President Obama is a fan of Netflix' House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, who play a husband and wife who live on Capitol Hill. It follows the doings of House Majority Whip Frank Underwood, played by Spacey. Obama joked about the TV series earlier this month. After being asked about doing a cameo for the series, Obama said that he wished "things were that ruthlessly efficient," The Hill reported.

• Scandal, whose star Kerry Washington was recently nominated for a Golden Globe, is partially based on Judy Smith, a real-life "fixer" in DC. The show's creator is Shonda Rhimes, who Obama recently appointed as a trustee for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

• Covert Affairs, which airs on the USA Network, follows the professional and personal life of Annie, played by actress Piper Perabo, a CIA officer (aka "agent.") Her "cover" — she works at the Smithsonian. Producers are Doug Liman and David Bartis, a 1982 grad of McLean High School. The two also produced "Fair Game," about former CIA officer Valerie Plame. The show has done actual filming in the area. One episode mentions Reston, and another mentions a cabin in Virginia.

• Although it was based in Los Angeles, one of the all-time Washington-related TV shows — 24 — is set to return in 2014 with 12 episodes. 24: Live Another Day is set to begin filming next month, and will air on Fox, debuting in summer 2014.