The JAG show portrays the life of military officers. It is heavily romanticized to appeal to the larger audiences. The show depicts the officers applying the stipulations of Uniform Code of Military Justice and International Law. When the show was first launched, it was heavily dependent on the Hollywood military prop soldiers. It also had to borrow footage from the existing Hollywood films based on military like Top Gun, The Hunt for Red October and Clear and Present Danger.

Once the Jag series gained popularity amongst viewers, the Department of Defense accepted the series as helping in creating a positive image about military services. On recognizing the positive impact the series had on the public image of military, the Department of Defense officially allowed the production unit access to the military installations and equipment. No other TV series has got the honor of being officially endorsed by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps.

The Jag show has been a success with viewers because of the incorporation of real life elements. Along with these real life situations, there has been a generous touch of the conventional television melodrama that helped the series touch millions of hearts. But for the real life scenarios, the JAG series would not have been so popular. From the time it was first aired, the show has been consistent in culling out the elements affecting the life of military personnel. The storylines have always been based on these real life actions and hence has enjoyed success at every season.

Some of the real life military actions adapted for the show are Bosnian War, the attack on the USS Cole, the 9/11 attacks and the War on Terrorism. An average viewer could identify himself with these happenings and hence the show got closer to the hearts of the millions of viewers. After the 9/11 attacks, the show proactively incorporated these attacks into its storyline, which significantly boosted its ratings. Subsequent to the 9/11 attacks, the show sailed to the top 10 of Nielsen's. These attacks were global in nature and incorporating it in the show not only helped boosting the American viewer ship but also helped in bettering the ratings worldwide.