JAG is an American legal drama television show with a distinct military theme, created by Donald P. Bellisario, and produced by Belisarius Productions in association with Paramount Network Television. The first season was co-produced with NBC Productions. Originally conceived as a Top Gun meets A Few Good Men, the pilot episode of JAG first aired on NBC on September 23, 1995; but the series was later canceled on May 22, 1996 after finishing 79th in the ratings, leaving one episode unaired. Rival network CBS picked up the series for a midseason replacement, beginning on January 3, 1997. CBS's decision to air JAG proved to be a good move, as JAG for several seasons climbed in the ratings and was on the air for nine additional seasons. JAG furthermore spawned the hit series NCIS, which in turn spun off another hit, NCIS: Los Angeles. In total, 227 episodes were produced over 10 seasons and JAG was during its 5th season seen in over 100 countries worldwide. JAG was so popular that it entered syndication early in 1999 and it is still regularly repeated.