Michael Weatherly on "NCIS" Success

With a weekly average of 20 million viewers, "NCIS" is the No.1 scripted show on television.

On the series, Michael Weatherly co-stars as the charming, yet romantically-challenged Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo.

Weatherly says he hopes his character doesn't change because he likes playing the perpetual frat boy archetype.

He told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith, "I have far too much fun going to work every day and playing (him)."

He equated his character's importance to Rob Reiner's role on the TV classic "All in the Family," saying, "Meathead comes down the stairs. You don't want him to become more politically centralized. He has to be the lefty so that Archie can be the (righty)."

He joked that his character is as essential.

He said, "Those are the rules of television."

Weatherly said living in the middle of "NCIS"'s success is like a fantasy.

"I'm pretty sure that this is some kind of lucid dream and I'll wake up and we'll be in the middle of season two. It's very strange to ride that -- a sense of accomplishment and everything."

For more with Michael Weatherly (and his hidden talents), click on the video below.

You can see a new episode of "NCIS" Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m./7:00 p.m. Central, on CBS.