Conference ljsrv1::tv_chatter

394.0. "JAG" by NETCAD::BRANAM (Steve, Hub Products Engineering, LKG2-2, DTN 226-6043) Wed Oct 04 1995 13:45

I liked this show a lot (two episodes so far). This is really for the Top
Gun/Tom Clancy crowd. If you don't like that kind of stuff, don't bother, but if
you do, quite rewarding. Lots of jets and ships and subs. This is a Donald P.
Bellisario production (like "Magnum P.I.").

They are reusing effects footage from movies, which gives the show more impact
with better quality, without having to break the bank. My only complaint is that
they should be a little more judicious. The last episode, about a rogue defense
contractor who has control of a smart torpedo on a sub, was full of shots from
"The Hunt For Red October". That was ok, but then they stole the whole scene of
Ryan transferring from helo to sub and dropping into the water, except that they
added a second person in close-up intercut shots. That was a bit much. If I
wanted to watch Red October, I would pop the tape in!

Other than that, good stories and characters. The lead is a male, but it looks
like he will always be paired with a female sidekick. They are Navy lawyers (and
officers) from the Judge Advocate General office, doing ship-board
investigations of crimes. A new twist for the investigative-lawyer genre. A lot
of the plot hinges on the co-ed Navy, both between the leads, and the other
characters. It appears to be very supportive of women in the Navy, but deals
with characters who are not.

Probably not as much fun as being catapulted off a deck at 150 knots, but as
close as you'll ever get on the small screen!