PRODUCTION NOTES: SEASON SEVEN
Combining all the visceral excitement of military conflict and all the suspense of a criminal investigation is one action-packed hour of dramatic television, the seventh season of JAG will premiere on Tuesday, September 25 from 8:00-9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on CBS-TV. A three-time Emmy Award winner, JAG is created and executive produced by Donald P. Bellisario and is a Belisarius Production in association with Paramount Network Television. This season--which kicks off the first of a two-year renewal taking JAG through at least 2003--ushers in pivotal developments in wrapping up a cliffhanger and introducing a new character. The series will also continue experimenting with new filmmaking techniques in exploring both the blistering action of the battlefield and compelling sequences in the courtroom.
Set amidst the larger-then life world of fighter planes, nuclear submarines and mammoth aircraft carriers, JAG chronicles the career of Commander Harmon "Harm" Rabb, Jr. (David James Elliott), resourceful Navy lawyer and officer in the Navy's Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps, who plays the diverse roles of investigator, prosecutor and defense attorney. Harm's partner and fellow JAG officer Lt. Colonel Sarah "Mac Mackenzie (Catherine Bell) is a confident, tough, but emotionally vulnerable Marine Corps attorney. An equal match for Harm, Mac embodies her Marine credo of "rifleman first, attorney second." Together they use their intelligence and determination to uncover the mysteries behind military cases involving murder, Treason, and espionage, among other crimes.
The 2001-2002 season promises new wrinkles to that formula as Harm and Mac contend with some long- suppressed emotions. First, Harm's heroic stature and apparent invulnerability will be called into question as he attempts to recover from a near-fatal flying mishap, having been lost at sea and presumed dead. Then, during a long night waiting to find out Harm's fate, Mac must finally confront the depth of her love for him.
After Harm is rescued and heals from his ordeal in the frigid waters of the Atlantic, he returns to JAG...only to discover that Mac, unable to face her feelings for him, has requested temporary duty aboard a carrier in the Indian Ocean. In a climatic episode, Harm will finally come to terms with his feelings for her.
In keeping with the series feature-film-quality reputation, JAG will shoot part of the first three episodes--those with Mac away on temporary duty--aboard the USS Pelieu, which is manned by a crack Marine Expeditionary Unit. While aboard the carrier, Mac solves the mystery of a JAG missing at sea and proves her Marine mettle in a daring embassy rescue.
Bellisario says, "As the sexual tension between Harm and Mac intensifies, this initial three-episode arc puts a heavy emphasis on Mac and may--or may not--resolve what steps the couple should take in their at-times convoluted relationship."
In those episodes, the series trademark, stellar cinematography, is also showcased in sequences shot of helicopters taking off the fight deck and landing craft in the ship's "well deck." Also in those shows, the production crew will experiment with some video camera techniques to track some of the Marine Corps action. These shoots provide examples of how the show continues to strive for authenticity in depicting military events. In fact, that dedication no doubt contributed to JAG's third Emmy Award nomination last season for Outstanding Cinematography.
Despite the romance-tinged "winkles" in the JAG storylines, the series will not swerve from its tradition of searing, "ripped-from-the-headlines" plots. Among those in the seventh season is a two-parter about the detention and rescue of a downed American spy plane's crew held by the Chinese. During the episode, Terry O'Quinn reprises his role as Admiral Boone, who was a wingman for Harm's father in Vietnam. Admiral Boone returns to the service as the Secretary of Navy's troubleshooter and enlists Harm's help. Other stories have JAG delving into cases involving intelligence agents who have become foreign moles--reminiscent of the FBI's travails with agent-turned -spy Robert Hanssen--and the disappearance of a Navy female intern, which has shades of the Chandra Levy mystery.
JAG also widens its creative reach this season with a comic episode set in the midst of a JAG marathon. The construction of the episodes plays with time and promises many surprises for viewers.
JAG's character line-up, which as always commanded a high appeal with audiences, adds a new face this year. The series introduces new JAG lawyer Commander Sturgis Turner (Scott Lawrence of Brimstone), who was Harm's friend and rival at the Naval Academy. A former submariner and son of the first African-American Navy Chaplain, he and Harm continue their friendly rivalry in and out of the courtroom. Turner finds himself attracted to Congresswoman Bobbi Latham (Anne-Marie Johnson), who still carries a torch for Harm. When Harm puts Bobbi on the stand in a controversial case--and it injures their friendship --Turner will console her.
Bellisario is particularly excited about introducing Turner's character, and having brought in Lawrence to play him. Directing an episode of his mid-season court drama series First Monday, Bellisario was immediately impressed with Lawrence, who had been cast in a guest-starring role for that show.
According to Bellisario, "Having worked with Scott on First Monday, I just became convinced that he would make a great addition to JAG, and wanted to add a new character tailored for his talent. I realized that there was real potential in having someone who was equal in rank with Harm, and who Harm had been friends with, but now could be a potential adversary at times as well."
As for the other series regulars, Admiral A.J. Chegwidden (John M. Jackson), a former Navy seal, returns as the tough guy with the soft side, who oversees all of JAG's cases. During one episode, his goddaughter runs away from home and turns to him for help. Her mother, a ship's captain deployed at sea, allows the girl to stay with the Admiral, who--as a temporary guardian--unwittingly becomes immersed in the throes of teenage angst.
Lieutenant Bud Roberts (Patrick Labyorteaux), a former JAG law clerk-turned attorney, continues to impress his colleagues with his expanding legal skills. In an upcoming story, he suffers in silence as his wife, Lieutenant Harriet Sims (Karri Turner), testifies as a witness to a murder and is attacked on the stand by an aggressive lieutenant.
Additionally, as a recurring guest-star, country music star Trish Yearwood is also set to reprise her role, as pathologist Commander Teresa Coulter, in another thrilling murder mystery.
After JAG's six seasons, Bellisario says, "Even with those years behind us, we won't just sit on our laurels, JAG's intriguing mix of action, adventure, legal drama and appealing stars encourages us to go for still more authentic military flavor, deep and compelling stories, powerful action, themes with scope and personal urgency, and clever and creative story telling. That's not just what audiences expect from us, it's what we are determined to deliver."
Appropriately, that dedication has the ring of many of JAG's characters.
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