Country of origin United States Original network CBS | No. of episodes 22 | |
Starring David James Elliott
Catherine Bell
Patrick Labyorteaux
Scott Lawrence
Zoe McLellan
Karri Turner
Chris Beetem
David Andrews
Meta Golding
Jordana Spiro Original release September 24, 2004 (2004-09-24) – April 29, 2005 (2005-04-29) | ||
The tenth and final season of JAG premiered on CBS on September 24, 2004, and concluded on April 29, 2005. The season, starring David James Elliott and Catherine Bell, was produced by Belisarius Productions in association with CBS Productions.
Contents
JAG Season 10 aired alongside NCIS (season 2).
Plot
Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie (Catherine Bell), a tenacious, by-the-book marine, and Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. (David James Elliott), a former aviator, are employed by the Judge Advocate General Corps, the elite legal division of the United States Naval and Marine services. The JAG team prosecute, defend, and preside over the legal cases assigned to them by the Judge Advocate General, Major General Gordon Cresswell (David Andrews). This season, Mac and Harm must investigate the death of a Marine in a friendly-fire incident ("Corporate Raiders"), a 22-year-old murder case ("Retrial"), an Ensign who fired on a fishing boat ("Whole New Ball Game"), and a DOD mishap in Baghdad ("This Just In From Baghdad"). Also this season, Mac suffers a personal loss ("Hail and Farewell"), and travels to San Diego to head a criminal investigation ("JAG: San Diego"), while new officers Lieutenants Gregory Vukovic (Chris Beetem), Tali Mayfield (Meta Golding), and Catherine Graves (Jordana Spiro) are assigned to her staff, Jennifer Coates (Zoe McLellan) is tapped to be a juror ("The Sixth Juror"), Harm must face the loss of Mattie (Hallee Hirsh) ("Death at the Mosque"), Bud (Patrick Labyorteaux) and Harriet (Karri Turner) must decide their future, and Sturgis (Scott Lawrence) is forced to act as Judge Advocate General. Finally, Harm and Mac must confront their feelings for one-another as they are offered promotions that will lead to their separation, Mac is assigned to Joint Legal Forces Southwest, and Harm is offered a Captain's billet in London ("Fair Winds and Following Seas").
Production
In February 2005, series co-star David James Elliott announced his departure from the series, with Bellisario noting that "his contract was up, and we never expected it to go on. We had to cut costs. [So] we started doing episodes with less of David, and it became obvious to him that we were not going to renegotiate". Both Catherine Bell and Chris Beetem had signed on for a potential eleventh season. "'It was always intended that Catherine would be [on] the show next season but [Elliott] would not,' says Bellisario".
In Spring 2005, despite CBS informing Donald P. Bellisario that the series "may get picked up", JAG was cancelled. Bellisario stated that "the reason 'JAG' is not coming back is purely demographic. Nothing more", adding "it's wrong to say the show was canceled because [series co-star David James Elliott] said he was leaving."