This is one of my favorite items about the entertainment industry working with the government. This was posted by The Memory Hole a few years ago regarding "email messages exchanged between a public affairs officer at the actual NCIS and a writer-producer of the show 'NCIS' [which was a spin-off from 'Jag']."

Though the fact isn't widely known, the entertainment industry and the government often work closely with each other. Each branch of the military - as well as other components of the government, including the CIA - has an entertainment liaison office that gives TV and movie producers access to military facilities, equipment, and personnel. In return for saving the studios millions of dollars, of course, the military requires portrayals that are extremely flattering and accurate (in its view).

One product of the military-entertainment complex is the CBS drama "NCIS," a "JAG" spin-off based on the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Paul O'Donnell, a public affairs officer at the real NCIS, worked hand-in-hand with Don McGill, a cocreator, coproducer, and cowriter of the show. (McGill's name is redacted in the documents, but clues in the email reveal it to be him.)

The most obvious examples of this is the CIA's role in developing shows like "The Company," "Alias" and "24" to spruce up the Agency's image. Another example is J. Edgar Hoover's FBI having a behind-the-scenes role in the production of "The FBI" with Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. One last thing, I'd like to point you back to my earlier blog entry which contains my just completed analysis of the Superbowl show and the commercials. Actually, this analysis is really contained in the comments that follow the entry, since the entry itself was mainly about the commercial spots of another show. I think my review of the Superbowl and the ads is important, since it is about perhaps the most major media event of our culture, that is shared by hundreds of millions. Also, I am not aware of this kind of analysis having been done anywhere on the 'net, at least not in a blog with a large audience.