Series Description

The JAG TV show was a 60 minute military action series that aired on NBC for its first season and on CBS for the other nine. It was about the military personnel who work at the U.S. Navy's legal headquarters ... the Judge Advocate General's office ... commonly referred to as "JAG". This is a multi-plot show as it explores military court cases and the relationships between the naval and marine cast both on and off the job. There's a lot of action and drama in the courtroom, on aircraft carriers, in fighter jets, in submarines and in personal situations.

JAG Cast

David James Elliott .... Lt./Lt. Commander/Commander Harmon Rabb Jr.
Catherine Bell .... Major/Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie (1996-)
Patrick Laborteaux .... Lt. JG/Lt. Bud Roberts Jr.
John M. Jackson .... Rear Admiral Albert Jethro (A.J.) Chegwidden
Karri Turner .... Ensign/Lt. JG/Lt. Harriet Boumont Sims Roberts (1997-)
Steven Culp .... Special Agent Clayton Webb
Randy Vasquez .... Gunnery Sergeant "Gunny" Victor Galindez (1999-)
Raye Hollitt .... Lieutenant Cassie "Lobo" Fuller
Tracey Needham .... Lieutenant J.G./Lieutenant Meg Austin (1995-1997; 1998)
Chuck Carrington .... Petty Officer Jason Tiner (1997-)
Nanci Chambers .... Lt. Loren Singer (1999-)
Trevor Goddard .... Lt. Cmdr. Michael "Mic" Brumby (1998-2001)
Scott Lawrence .... Cmdr. Sturgis Turner (2001-)
Tamlyn Tomita .... Lt. Cmdr. Tracy Manetti (2002-)
Zoe McLellan .... Petty Officer Jennifer Coates (2001-)
Dean Stockwell .... Secretary of the Navy Sheffield (2002-)

JAG Trivia

Do you remember David James Elliot from any of his TV show roles before JAG? He played "Nick Del Gado" on "Street Legal (1987)", "Mack Sheppard" on "Fly By Night (1991)", "Bill Nolan" on "Knots Landing (1979)", "Agent Paul Robbins" on "The Untouchables (1993)" and "Terry Parsons" on "Melrose Place (1992)".

Before becoming a regular cast member at JAG headquarters, Patrick Laborteaux (Bud Roberts) appeared on a few episodes as the public affairs officer on the U.S.S. Seahawk. Karri Turner who plays Bud's wife Harriet, took his Bud's job on the Seahawk when he left and then also eventually transferred to JAG!

In order to keep production costs down, film from movies that wasn't used on the big screen was used for the show. A couple of the movies were "Hunt For Red October" and "Top Gun". One of JAG's episodes was even filmed on the set of "Crimson Tide".

Patrick Laborteaux's (Bud's) first recurring role on a TV series was as cast member, "Andrew 'Andy' Garvey" on "Little House On The Prarie (1974)" from 1977-1981!

Harmon Rabb (David James Elliot) was a fighter pilot before becoming a JAG lawyer. His flying career ended after he developed night blindness and crashed his jet during a night landing. He still often flys during the day though.

This TV show was dropped by NBC due to poor ratings. It didn't take long after CBS took it over till it became a big success!

Steven Culp (Clayton Webb) got his onscreen start on a daytime drama. His first credited role is as the 4th "Doctor Dan 'Danny' Woleck" on "One Life to Live".

Audiences apparently love military crime dramas as JAG generated a highly successful series titled, "NCIS". The pilot episodes for that series aired in 2003 during the eighth season of this one and were titled "Ice Queens" and "Meltdown". Then NCIS went on to generate two spinoff series of its own titled, "NCIS: Los Angeles" in 2009 and "NCIS: New Orleans" in 2014!

JAG Opening Narrative

"Following in his father's footsteps as a naval aviator Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. suffered a crash while landing his Tomcat on a storm tossed carrier at sea. Diagnosed with night-blindness, Harm transferred to the Navy's Judge Advocate General Corp which investigates, defends and prosecutes the law of the sea. There, with fellow JAG lawyer Major Sarah McKenzie, he now fights in and out of the courtroom with the same daring and tenacity that made him a Top Gun in the air."