Information AboutJag |
''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 See Also: Characters of JAG 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, , 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: "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 '' in a two-part episode in which Rabb is accused of the murder of a female officer. The two episodes 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 core cast of ''NCIS'' remained unchanged between the pilot episodes and the full series, with the exception that the character of a female NCIS agent played by Robyn Lively was replaced by another character played by Sasha Alexander . 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. DVD AND VHS RELEASES See Also: JAG DVD 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 was released as four-disc Region 4 DVD set in Australia on August 16, 2007. The Region 2 second season DVD will be released on September 10 , 2007 . 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
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