JAG
Created by	Donald P. Bellisario
Starring	David James Elliott Catherine Bell Patrick Labyorteaux John M. Jackson
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	227 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time	1 hour
Original release
Network	NBC (1995-1996) CBS (1997-2005)
Release	September 23, 1995 – April 29, 2005
Related
NCIS

JAG (the American Military acronym for Judge Advocate General) is an American adventure and drama television show, that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television. 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 addition, 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.

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.

Cast

The final ensemble cast centres on Captain Harmon "Harm" Rabb, Jr., USN (David James Elliott), and Lt. Colonel Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie, USMC (Catherine Bell). 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 Afganistan 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 full service 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).

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. Regardless, 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 it resolved, as the screen fades to black the face of the coin is showing, which says: "JAG 1995–2005".

Critical and media reception

Despite being a long running show with high audience ratings, JAG only attracted a modest share of media attention compared to other contemporary shows such as Alias, 24, and Sex and the City. One common explanation, mainly among conservatives, is that the established media has regarded the military in the post-Vietnam period with great amounts of contempt and disapproval. Others would argue the lack of attention is due to the show's standard melodramatic lawyer show themes, simply set in a military environment. Another explanation common among the fans is that JAG never received enough advertising by Paramount and CBS.

Some critics argue that JAG's basic premise portrayed a glorified view of the military, particularly the Navy, and failed to attract younger viewers as it continued through each of its 10 seasons.

NCIS spin-off

In 2003, the series spawned the spin-off NCIS. 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.

Episodes

For a full list of JAG episodes, see list of JAG episodes.

JAG around the world

Episodes of JAG are today widely shown in syndication on cable and satellite networks throughout the entire world. The following table, comprising 40+ countries, displays on which networks JAG is aired, what local name it goes under and in which language version it is presented.

Country	Local title	English translation	Broadcasters	Language version
Argentina	JAG	-	Universal	Spanish language version, English language version (Only season 10)
Australia	JAG	-	Seven Network & TV1	English language version
Austria	JAG Im Auftrag der Ehre	On Behalf of Honor	Sat.1 Österreich	German language version
Belgium	JAG	-	VT4 & RTL-TVi	Flemish subtitles (VT4) & French language version (RTL-TVi)
Brazil	JAG "Ases Invencíveis"	Invincible Aces	Universal	Portuguese language version or English language version with Portuguese subtitles
Bulgaria	Военна прокуратура	Military Prosecution	Nova Television	Bulgarian language version
Canada	JAG	-	History Television	English language version
	Jag	-	Historia	French language version (Version française)
Chile	JAG Justicia Militar	Military Justice	Universal	?
Croatia	JAG	-	Nova TV	Subtitled in Croatian
Czech Republic	JAG	-	TV Nova	Czech language version
Denmark	Interne Affærer	Internal Affairs	TV3 & TV3+	Subtitled in Danish
Finland	Kunnian Miehet	Men of Honor	YLE TV2	Subtitled in Finnish
France	JAG	-	France 2	French language version
Germany	JAG - Im Auftrag der Ehre	On Behalf of Honor	Sat.1 & Kabel 1	German language version
Hong Kong	JAG	-	Now TV (STAR World)	English language version
Hungary	JAG Becsületbeli Ügyek	On Behalf of Honor	TV2	Hungarian language version
Iceland	JAG	-	Stöð 2	English Language version
India	JAG	-	Star World	English language version
Ireland	JAG	-	Channel 6	English language version
Israel	ג'אג	JAG	hot 3	Subtitled in Hebrew
Italy	JAG Avvocati in divisa	JAG - Lawyers in Uniform	Rai Due & La7	Italian language version
Japan	Hanzai-sosakan Navy File	Criminal Investigator Navy File	SkyPerfectTV SuperChannel	Japanese and English language version
Kosovo	JAG Ne emer te nderit	-	RTK	English language version Subtitled in Albanian
Macedonia	ЈАГ: Воен истражен судија		Sitel	English language version
Malaysia	JAG	-	Star World	English language version
Mexico	JAG Justicia Militar	Military Justice	AXN	Spanish language version
The Netherlands	JAG	-	Veronica (television channel)& SBS6 (television channel)	Subtitled in Dutch
New Zealand	JAG	-	TV3	English language version
Nicaragua	JAG Justicia Militar	Military Justice	Canal 2	Spanish language version
Norway	JAG	-	TV3 & ZTV	Subtitled in Norwegian
Philippines	JAG	-	Star World, RPN 9, Crime & Suspense (Cable)	English language version
Poland	JAG Wojskowe Biuro Śledcze	Military Bureau of Investigation	TVP1, Polsat & TV4	Polish language version
Portugal	JAG: Em Nome da Justiça	In the Name of Justice	AXN	Subtitled in Portuguese
Romania	Justiţie Militară	Military Justice	TVR 1	Subtitled in Romanian
Slovakia	JAG Vojenská generálna prokuratúra		Markíza	Slovak language version
Slovenia	JAG	-	first POP TV, then Kanal A	Subtitled in Slovene
South Africa	JAG	-	SABC 3	English language version
Spain	JAG: Alerta Roja	Red Alert	Antena 3 & AXN	Spanish and English language version
Sri Lanka	JAG	-	ETV	English language version
Sweden	På heder och samvete	By Honor and Conscience (it is also the Swedish title of A Few Good Men)	TV3 & ZTV	Subtitled in Swedish
Switzerland	JAG Im Auftrag der Ehre	On Behalf of Honor	Sat.1 Schweiz & TSI1	German language version and Italian language version
Ukraine	Слідчі ВМФ	Navy Investigators	?	Russian language version
United Kingdom	JAG	-	FX (UK)	English language version
United States	JAG	-	Original airing: NBC (season 1) & CBS (season 2-10) Syndication: USA Network	English language version

DVD and VHS releases

JAG: The Complete First Season was released as a six-disc Region 1 DVD box set in the U.S. on July 25, 2006. It was distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment. In addition to all the episodes that had aired, it included several DVD extras such as episode commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage and making-of features, as well as the rarely seen "Skeleton Crew" episode. The complete first season DVD box set was also released in Region 2 and Region 4 formats. They included all twenty-two episodes, but did not contain any bonus material.

The second season was released as a four-disc Region 1 DVD box set in the U.S. on November 7, 2006. As with season one, the release included bonus features such as episode commentaries with the cast and crew, behind-the-scenes footage and making-of features. The second season is currently only available in Region 1 format. The third season was released as a six-disc Region 1 DVD box set on March 20, 2007 in the U.S.

On March 28, 2007, the tvshowsondvd.com website announced a provisional release for season four as August 21, 2007, Region 1.

On September 1, 1998, the pilot episode of JAG was released on VHS in the U.S.^[1] It was distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment.

JAG in popular culture

• An episode of Celebrity Deathmatch had an archived videotape of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Yoko Ono performing an unreleased song, to which commentator Johnny Gomez believes it could be worth millions of dollars. The recording suddenly changes to the opening credits of JAG, in which commentator Nick Diamond reveals he is a huge fan of the show and never missed an episode. He programmed his VCR to record the episode on a night he had to work; clearly believing the tape with the Beatles jam was just some "old junk".
• A parody of the show is displayed in the Family Guy episode "Petergeist". In this parody, Peter is watching JAG, Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie stops her speech to Captain Harmon Rabb by asking him if anyone watches the show. Harm says that only old people watch it because the noise keeps them company.
• An episode of the NBC comedy Scrubs features one of J.D.'s fantasys in which he wonders what it would be like to have a house full of old people. In the dream he complains that "Someone needs to stop filling my TIVO with JAG re-runs."

See also

• Paul Levine

Notes & references

• 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.

External links

• JAG at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show
• JAG-Fans.com