JAG
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| JAG | |
|---|---|
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| Format | Adventure, Legal drama |
| Created by | Donald P. Bellisario |
| Starring | David James Elliott Catherine Bell Patrick Labyorteaux John M. Jackson Scott Lawrence |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of seasons | 10 |
| No. of episodes | 227 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 1 hour |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC (1995-1996) CBS (1997-2005) |
| Original run | September 23, 1995 – April 29, 2005 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | NCIS |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
JAG (the American Military acronym for Judge Advocate General) was a United States adventure and drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions. Originally conceived as Top Gun meets A Few Good Men, JAG was first aired on NBC on September 23, 1995, but was later cancelled on May 22, 1996 after finishing 77th in the ratings. With a network change, rival network CBS picked up the series for a midseason replacement, beginning on January 3, 1997. CBS' decision to give JAG another chance would prove very profitable, as they aired it for nine additional seasons until April 29, 2005, for a total of ten seasons. In total, 227 episodes were produced and the show was also seen in over 100 countries. Due to the show's popularity, the show entered syndication early in 1999 and it is still regularly repeated around the world, mostly on the USA Network.
The series depicts JAG officers, though heavily romanticized, applying the stipulations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and international law as well as providing conventional television melodrama. In its initial phase, the show relied much on Hollywood military-prop suppliers and existing stock footage from other well-known naval and military films, including Top Gun, The Hunt for Red October and Clear and Present Danger. The Department of Defense later recognized the series as positive for its public image and therefore granted official support, providing the producers access to military installations and equipment. It is so far the only television show to have been officially endorsed by both the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. From the beginning, the show regularly incorporated elements of real-life military actions into its storylines, e.g. the aftermath of the Bosnian War, the attack on the USS Cole, the events of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the subsequent War on Terrorism. In the wake of the above attacks the show experienced a boost in ratings and became a fixture on Nielsen's top 10.
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[edit] Cast
The final ensemble cast centers on Captain Harmon "Harm" Rabb, Jr., USN (David James Elliott), and Lieutenant Colonel Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie, USMC (Catherine Bell). Bell had guest-starred on the final episode of season one, entitled "Skeleton Crew" as a Naval Officer that Rabb was supposed to have met for dinner; she was murdered and Rabb was arrested for her murder. This plotline was left open until a later season, when Bell was a regular character, and the loose ends of a doppleganger were revealed. Rabb was promoted to Captain in the second-to-last episode of the series. Rabb and Mac's obvious attraction to each other, which must not be allowed to interfere with their professional relationship, is a long-running thematic element.
Elliott played Harmon Rabb from the start of the series in 1995. Rabb's original partner in the pilot was Navy Lieutenant Caitlin Pike, played by Andrea Parker. She in turn left the series to star in The Pretender (she later returned as a guest star in three episodes), and was replaced by Tracey Needham as Lieutenant J.G. Meg Austin. Needham left the series in 1996 and was replaced by Catherine Bell from season 2 on.
Other members of the cast included Lieutenant Commander Bud Roberts, (played by Patrick Labyorteaux), first a PAO on the aircraft carrier USS Seahawk, then later a junior Judge Advocate at JAG. While on an assignment to the Seahawk, he met his future wife, Lieutenant Harriett Sims, played by Karri Turner, who would eventually come to be the administrative aide (from the Inspector General's Office (IG)), who held the office together. Bud's clumsiness, both physical and verbal, and geeky interests (he's a Trekkie, fascinated by the paranormal, and a computer nerd), together with his wife's maternal nature, were a frequent source of comic relief. His clumsiness was played down as the series went on. Bud lost the lower half of his right leg in Afghanistan in the last episode of season 7, while attempting the heroic rescue of an Afghan boy playing in a mine field. For his actions, he received the Purple Heart and later was able to return to partial active duty with a prosthetic leg.
The actress Nanci Chambers, wife of David James Elliott, played Lieutenant Loren Singer. She portrayed this character as a loathsome villainess to great acclaim. Singer was consumed by her continual want to further her career at the expense of those around her. She often clashed with the other characters. Especially praised was an episode in which Singer hurt fan-loved Harriet by using the death of her baby Sarah to discredit her testimony in court. In a later episode, however, Harriet got a measure of revenge by punching out Singer (7.23 "In Country"). Singer was murdered, with suspicion falling on Rabb, who was eventually cleared (the two part story detailing the investigation into Singer's murder was used as the pilot for the spin off NCIS).
[edit] Final ending
In 2005, David James Elliott announced he would leave the show to pursue other projects after not being offered a renewal from the producers. The show introduced new younger characters (including former As the World Turns star Chris Beetem) in an unsuccessful effort to stave off cancellation. Producers also thought about relocating the setting of the show to the Naval Base in San Diego, and even set a season ten episode there. Nevertheless, CBS announced the cancellation of the show after ten seasons on April 4, 2005. The final episode, "Fair Winds and Following Seas", which aired April 29, 2005, saw Harm and Mac assigned different stations: Harm in London, Mac in San Diego, California. They finally confront their feelings and decide to get married. The episode ends with them tossing a JAG challenge coin to decide who will give up their career to be with the other. However (in keeping with JAG tradition), we never see the outcome, as the screen fades to black the face of the coin is showing, which says: "Judge Advocate General JAG 1995–2005".
[edit] NCIS spin-off
In 2003, the series spawned the spin-off NCIS in a two-part episode in which Rabb is accused of the murder of a female officer. The two episodes, titled "Ice Queen" and "Meltdown," focused on the NCIS team, with the JAG regulars as supporting characters. Whereas the JAG episodes were primarily oriented on courtroom drama, NCIS is more focused on the field criminal investigations. NCIS also follows a different storytelling format than JAG, emphasizing character humor more than its parent program.
To date, two characters from JAG have appeared on NCIS: Patrick Labyorteaux reprised his role of Bud Roberts in the episode "Hung Out to Dry", while recurring guest star Alicia Coppola appeared in her JAG role of Lt. Cmdr. Faith Coleman in several episodes.
The two-part JAG episode in which the NCIS cast were introduced was later rebroadcast as a regular episode of NCIS, although it was not included in the subsequent Season 1 DVD box set release.
[edit] Episodes
For a full list of JAG episodes, see list of JAG episodes.
[edit] DVD and VHS releases
JAG Seasons 1-6 have been released on DVD in the U.S. Season five is the first season available on DVD in 16:9 format.[1]
On September 1, 1998, the pilot episode of JAG was released on VHS in the U.S. by Paramount Home Entertainment.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes & references
- ^ JAG - Harm & Mac Are Coming Back!. TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved on 2007-10-16.
- ^ Jag - Premiere Episode. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-16.
- Robb, David L. (2004). Operation Hollywood: How the Pentagon Shapes and Censors the Movies. 1st ed. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books.
- James & McDowell, Jeanne, "BATTLEFIELD PROMOTION," Time, 0040781X, 12/10/2001, Vol. 158, Issue 25 pp. 95-96.
- Thomas & Weiner, Allison Hope, "NAVAL GAZING.", Entertainment Weekly, Issue 624 (2001-09-11), pp. 10-11.
[edit] External links
- Official JAG web site at CBS.com
- JAG at the Internet Movie Database
- JAG at TV.com
